


All Hallow's Eve

by LittleNekoChan



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012), RotG
Genre: Gen, Hallowe'en, Jack trying to helpful, Little bit of blood, Nightmare Before Christmas - Freeform, OC, Original Character - Freeform, Work In Progress, criticisms welcome, first fic, irrgular updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-17 11:58:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleNekoChan/pseuds/LittleNekoChan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hallow was an outcast amongst the guardians. She had made mistakes too big to be forgiven. No one searches for outcasts. </p><p>Apparently Jack didn't hear the warnings. </p><p>Expecting something dark and dangerous, the broken child he finds is a shock. Now, it's up to the only guardian who bears no grudge against her to rebuild her and her power, before something intent on seeing her destroyed has time to surface.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 Something had been bugging Jack recently. He would watch his fellow guardians flitting and running about, doing their jobs while all he needed to worry about was bringing the winter and the fun and the snow days. It would seem easy and carefree until he noticed. It was so small. Not really something that should make him curious at all…but it was bothering him.

“Hey, North?” he finally asked, watching the man as he crafted out the plans for his new toys. Jack himself was balanced on top of his staff, staring out the window at the ice and snow around them, “How come there aren’t any more guardians about my age? There’s gotta be others, right?” It wasn’t a lie, Jack Frost was curious as to why he seemed to be the only guardian or potential guardian his own age. Not meaning three hundred, but childlike.

It wasn’t that he disliked or had gotten bored of the children. The snowball fights with Jamie and his friends, and the belief he’d found in kids around the world was plenty to be getting on with, and it was always winter somewhere on the globe so it’s not like he was ever at a loss for things to do or places to visit. Never.

But…he did get lonely sometimes. Being the youngest of the guardians wasn’t easy, since it meant his older friends were usually too busy to play with him, to really play with him. And Jamie would still eventually grow up…no, not thinking about that. But still, Jack would admit he was a little lonely for someone his own age with some abilities of their own. North looked at him, before setting the toy prototype down and smiling at the winter spirit,

“Oh, Jack. There are many, many spirits of children’s joy, memories, happiness, wonder…and other potential guardians are out there. There are others who are no doubt about your age-” North sighed to himself for a moment, “And some we don’t talk to for-”

“Like who?” North’s tone suddenly became colder, and there was the frightening figure Jack recognised before.

“Hallow.”

“Hallow?”

“The Spirit of Halloween, Jack. Not someone you should concern yourself with. She is dangerous girl.” Now North’s voice had dropped its usual cheer, Jack was left wondering if the room temperature had dropped a few degrees too. It certainly felt that way. “There is good reason we don’t speak with Hallow. She is better off asking Tooth about.” North looked away. Jack didn’t.

“Why? Who is she?”

“Dangerous. Talk to Tooth. She knows her better” North turned back to his toy, effectively finishing the conversation but leaving Jack with more curiosity and questions than he’d arrived with. North rarely talked about people with such a cold tone, but she didn’t sound like a bad person. Jack knew how Halloween worked, the festival of spirits having been around even before he became Jack Frost. He knew how much the kids enjoyed going out in the evening and knocking on peoples doors in their costumes, asking for treats. How bad could someone who gave sweets and pumpkins to children be?

 

* * *

  

Which is how Jack found himself at the tooth palace half an hour later. He loved the tooth palace, the interesting, spiralling structures and the bright colours. It was extremely beautiful. He could hear Tooth calling orders from somewhere deeper in the palace,

“-Incisor and bicuspid in Tennessee, molar at Baker Street, canine in Tok-Jack!” Tooth smiled rightly, immediately flying down to meet him, “Hi! I wasn’t expecting you! How are you? What brings you here?” Jack took a step back from the face full of bright violet eyes and feathers and gave a soft chuckle.

“Good, thanks. Hey, Tooth, I was just talking with North about other possible female guardians and-” Tooth’s smile had already faded. Her expression one of concern and…worry. From just that one line. Female guardians or even potential guardians must be pretty rare for her to know who he was talking to.

“Jack…please understand, sometimes it’s for the best that some people aren’t guardians-” Jack already cut of her off, she was acting way too nervous,

“Tooth, what’s wrong?” the iridescent fairy’s wings sped up their rapid flight, her expression nervous. Around them, her fairies had even stopped their work to watch the two. It was strange. It was only one person. She couldn’t even be that strong if Jack had never heard of her before now. Tooth’s face was slightly pale,

“Did North tell you abut Hallow?” with the mention of that name, the air suddenly became thick, the fairies around them beginning to chirp and twitter with each other as Tooth herself landed on the floor in front of him, looking nervous. It sounded like one massive vibration that shook through Jack. What was up with everyone and this chick?

“Well, he might’ve mentioned someone with that name…” The tension in the air was now making Jack feel awkward for asking. But not awkward enough to stop. Curiosity was a weakness in him. Tooth continued to flutter nervously, before looking around the room, murmuring to one of the fairies. The small thing flitted off as Tooth turned back to Jack,

Immediately, she seemed to be on edge, as though judging what she was going to say before she says it, “Hallow’s a dangerous person, Jack.” The ice guardian sighed. Great, this again,

“Yeah, that’s exactly what North said. But he didn’t say why” and was it just him or were Tooth’s feathers getting ruffled?

“Hallow’s…Hallow’s not a guardian, Jack. She – she once had the potential to be one, she loved children so much. But something happened and, well, we don’t know for definite she won’t turn out to be like Pitch someday.” And the fairies that had stopped to watch them suddenly started moving again, the air practically charged with their energy.  
  
Jack just shrugged, “I wasn’t a guardian for years. I turned out okay” he pointed out to her, holding out his arms as a means of motioning to himself. Tooth smiled and took a holder from the fairy she had murmured to before. Frost tried to get a look at the picture, “you have her memories?” Sometimes it was difficult remembering that all of them had had lives before now. Difficult to picture them as anything other than what they were.

Tooth was holding the tooth holder close to her, her eyes downcast, “I’ll tell you what I can about her from what I know, but I don’t know how much that would be…” she fluttered over to sit on the edge of the platform. Jack floating down next to her. With a deep breath, she began,

“Hallow Eve. That’s her full name. She’s one of the oldest spirits we know of…older than Sandy, North…all of us. Halloween isn’t just a modern day invention, Jack. People, children, have been celebrating this holiday for thousands of years, whether the name changes or not. Right back through and before the dark age.” Her grip on the tooth holder tightened, “I was the first one to meet her. She only looks about your age Jack, she’s more powerful and stronger than you could ever believe. Halloween today is all pumpkins and costumes to the children, but there’s so much more behind it. So much more than people forget, or don’t want to remember.”

She looked at him with wide eyes and now, now Jack regretted asking. It was hurting Tooth to remember. He tried to open her mouth, tell her to stop, but she turned away, just continued. “Don’t, let me finish. When I first met her Jack, she was a frightening force. And she was changeable. She’d be tricking people, scaring them and playing tricks as soon as she’d be giving out her candy and smiles. That’s part of what made her terrifying to us all. We couldn’t be sure whose side she was on…and then there was Pitch…” Jack rested a hand on her shoulder,

“Hey…” he gave a small smile, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise how much it hurt to remember. But she doesn’t sound that bad at all.” Tooth looked up at him as well,

“Talk to Bunny. He suffered the most from her, because he tried to be nice to her.” That did surprise the young guardian. This girl hurt Bunny? And frightened Tooth? And made North angry?

He’d only wanted to know if there was another guardian his age. Now he wanted to know who exactly this force was. Who was 'Hallow Eve'?


	2. Records

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sent everywhere, finding nothing.

The warren was its usual bright, airy self. The large stone eggs switching to smiling faces when Jack arrived, the grass green, they sky blue. Calm, peaceful, quiet. Jack climbed out of the tunnel to be immediately greeted by Bunnymund, standing cross-armed and face blank, his whole stance radiating caution and slight anger. Strange. Jack looked up,

“Hey R-”

“Why’re you asking about the Ratbag?” Bunny’s voice was accusing at he watched Jack, the winter spirit leaning against his staff,

“Why is everyone so mad at this girl? And you’d better not just send me on to Sandy, I’ve already asked three people including you” It was getting a little annoying. He wanted to know. He wasn’t even going to question how Bunny had found out so fast. It seemed to be a thing amongst the guardians.

Bunny’s expression just became harder, “You don’t know what you’re dealing with Jack, don’t go looking into her. That hellraiser’s not worth anything but her pumpkins. She especially ain’t worth friendship” a small egg bumped into his leg, the rabbit picking it up and setting it down with the others before looking back at Jack, “better fill me in on what Tooth told you.”

Now he was allowed to talk, finally. He shrugged, still leaning on his staff. “Not much, just that she was an old spirit, powerful, dangerous, and something about Pitch…” his voice trailed off, Bunny’s expressionless mask was falling away into something that almost resembled guilt. “Could someone just give me a straight answer? Please? It’s one person! And a girl!” that had Bunny laughing,

“Oh mate, don’t let her hear you say that! She’s a pretty strong feminist…” the laughing stopped, “and she’s got the strength to back it up.” Bunny’s voice was dropping low. Jack folded himself up, tilting his head to the side and sitting cross legged in the air next to his staff. He didn’t need to say anything, Bunny just sat down on the grass, “you’re curious, ain’t ya? Well I hope you got the time to kill, this won’t be quick. How much d’you know about Hallowe’en then, eh?” Bunny looked up at the smaller winter spirit from the perch on the floor.

Jack took a moment to think, considering everything he knew, “It’s changed a lot. But a lot’s still the same, isn’t it? Kids dress up as things they think are scary, knock on people’s doors, ask for candy, carve faces into pumpkins, and of course, play trick on each other! That’s always the best part” Bunny chuckled at him, his ears going back against his head slightly,

“Yeah, mostly right...” there was a sigh, a small noise, “we’re gonna have to go back to some of the oldest tales here mate. Halloween ain’t just a new idea. It’s got old roots. Really old. Right…how do I explain this? Eh, wait here. I think I’ve got something to make it easier” The rabbit hopped off, returning only minutes later with a thick book in his paws, “‘ere, read this. It’ll explain better than me.” Taking the book in cold hands, Jack looked up at Bunny,

“The whole thing?”

“Just page three hundred onwards for a bit.”

It was with a shrug Jack began to turn the pages of the book. There was no title to the book, and the pages were old, slightly yellow and thin, the writing curved and slanted in a font so small Jack had to hold the page about an inch from him nose to understand any of it. It looked like some sort of record. Jack stopped on page two hundred and nine, “wait a minute, you’re in here!”

Bunny gave a light smirk, “we all are, mate. Any past, present or potential guardian has their information in that book. You’re in there too, somewhere. But don’t get distracted now. You were asking about someone else.” Of course, Jack made a mental note to get ahold of this book later on. For now, he pushed on, flicking through until he reached the page Bunny had said.

The first think to catch his eye was the Picture taking up the entire page, and with no surprise really. He’d asked if there were other guardians his age, and in looks, she fit the bill. She was pretty, but young. Her skin a flawless white as she stared up at him with wide yellow eyes and dark lashed, made to stand out even further with the dark makeup. Her hair pulled back off of her face to tie half-up, half down behind her head save for the loose curls framing her face. The rest curled in waves and loose ringlets over her shoulders, a bright, pumpkin orange with a tiara sitting on her forehead, black, set with an eye-shaped amber stone. A slightly parted, faintly upturned mouth gave her face a mischievous look that Jack found endearing - even cute.

Black boots with long laces up to the knees were wrapped with green ivy, be it real or not Jack couldn’t tell. Her stockings, still black and orange, were torn and dotted with holes to where they almost disappeared underneath the lace edging of her orange skirt, two layers of orange fabric that faded to black on the edges. A corset of black with thin silver spiderweb detail hid her stomach from view, the top a bright orange fabric that was designed to curl up against her skin on the edges, making it seem like fire. He sleeves were medieval, with long flowing fabric around her wrists and tight bands around her upper arm. Once again, torn fingerless gloves matching the design of the stockings and an armband of orange set with a black jewel.

The picture showed her sitting, staring up at him with her legs tucked almost underneath her, a huge pumpkin behind her and a smaller one by her knees. She was pretty. Very pretty. Until something red in the picture caught Jack’s eyes, and the winter spirit froze where he was.

“Bunny, why’re there thorns around her neck?” he was right. Covering her neck and shoulders were thick, thorny branches that, in the picture, had already made shallow cuts in her skin that were bleeding red, the blood welling up in some cuts and already dripping slightly in others. Bunny just sighed,

“No one knows, no one asks. It’s what Hallow does, confuses you to hell and back twice over just to say she can. She ain’t a nice person Jack. A pretty face won’t always mean a pretty personality” Jack could pick up on the anger and annoyance in his fellow Guardian’s voice, which confused him further. He wanted to question, but instead looked back to the book and drew his eyes away from the picture to the writing next to it. In fluid script it read, ‘The Hallowed Lady – Hallow Eve.’

Well, Hallow was pretty. And young. But that could not be all there was to her. Just who was Hallow Eve?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this gets better for the people who find it awful, I mainly experiment with my writing styles a lot. and if you like it, bless your soul.


	3. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more information

**__ **

**_ The Hallowed Lady – Hallow Eve _ **

_Samhein. All Saint’s day. All Soul’s day. All Hallow’s Eve. Hallowe’en. The Druid and Celtic tribesmen believed it was the night where the barrier between the world of the living, their own plane of existence, and the world they could not see, the world of spirits and souls, demons and fae folk, angels and monsters, was at its weakest. They would leave soul cakes for these spirits, and children of the poor would go ‘a souling’ for these cakes. Anyone who did not leave these cakes as ‘treats’ would be cursed with ‘tricks’ from the spirits as punishment._

_Children sometimes dressed or disguised themselves as the very creatures and monsters they tried to appease, performing acts and feats for the rich of the town in exchange for treats and presents of their own. Once again, the children would play tricks if people did not participate, asking ‘trick or treat?’ when the head of the household answered. A tradition kept in place today, even if some do not ask before playing their tricks._

_The tradition of pumpkins and jack o’lanterns comes from an old legend of a man who wandered through the spirit world to find the woman he loved, carrying a light inside a small pumpkin as his only link to the human world. People lit them to guide souls and spirits back to their world after they had spent their evening on Earth._

_Born in Druid/Celtic ruled Angleand (modern day: England) to the same name, daughter to Ninian Eve and Drustan Eve. Raised in a small village with her brothers Áedán and Caohm, she was level headed but a trickster, efficient with her work and yet always begging for more time to play. Her namesake, the festival of All Hallow’s Eve, also marks the date of her birth, giving her more reason than most to favour that day above others. Combined with her personality, people saw her as a true ‘Hallowed Lady’. A woman borne from the world of spirits. Some feared her, some were in awe. However it is undisputable that she was the one who loved All Hallow’s Eve more than any child alive. For the day, she would create costumes and twist tales together for the children of the villiage to listen to. When the night fell, she would take the children ‘a soulin’ for the cakes people left, dressed in the beautiful costumes made from the little her family had. She played marvellous tricks without once being punished for them, for people knew she was only carrying out the will of the spirits they had not appeased. And children loved her._

_Never once would she ask for anything in exchange. She was a protector of the children, telling them stories of the creatures that lurked out of sight, but never letting them be taken by them. It was Áedán who enjoyed her stories the most, adding to them and spinning just as well as she could, despite being older. Her brother Caohm saw her as a mindless child who needed to understand the true meanings and ways of the world instead of immersing herself with the children and stories. The stories were fine, but he wished his sister would grow up and see past her childhood. He wished she would become more practical, instead of seeming to cling to the spiritual. A pity he could not believe in the spiritual as she did._

_It was one night, doing nothing more than taking the children dancing for the Eve dressed as the Fae folk with soft wings, she heard a curious sound, that of bells where they could not exist. One of the children, also hearing the sound, begged Hallow to go with her. To find the source of the beautiful noise. Hallow agreed, not having the heart to disappoint the child, and, leaving Áedán in charge of the children, began to trek through the dense forest in search of the bells. The two searched for hours, the trees too thick to tell just how dark it had gotten. Until Hallow realised the child had stopped. Unmoving, not breathing, eyes wide in fright, cheeks marked with silent tears. Around her feet lay a perfect circle of small mushrooms. A Fae trap. As the bells around them got steadily louder, Hallow screamed to the Fae to leave the child alone. To spare the child. She knew the Fae stole children, knew the tales. Knew the warnings. Thankfully also knew the protection. She had, that day, given all of the children iron bands to wear on their wrists. But had left her own at home. They spared the child. They did not spare her._

_The very creatures she had twisted tales about for the children were the very creatures that destroyed her._

Jack had to stop reading there, looking up to Bunny to find the Pooka still watching him, “She was killed by fairies? But Tooth’s fairies are such cute little things!” Bunnymund shook his head,

“Read carefully mate, it may say ‘Fae’ and ankle biters of today may call them fairies now, but there’s a difference. Fae ain’t the nice little creatures people write stories on. They’re vicious, taking children and killing if they need to. Like it says Jack, people don’t always wanna remember the old ways.” He folded his arms again, staring at the book in his hand, “people think ‘fairies’ is derived from ‘Faeries’ but you’ve gotta remember the differences sometimes.”

Jack looked back over the book again. There was more.

 

**_Awakening_ **

_Upon awakening in the forest, she was frightened. For she had been reborn with the sight of the shadows - seeing for the first time the lights of the Fae, hearing the howling of the man-wolves, feeling the energies of the wandering spirits that haunted the Earth on that one night. It had been no myth. The gateway was weak on this night. And so Hallow was needed to protect it. For the moon told her, so it would be._

_However, her village only believe in the dead when they are not people they themselves saw buried in the earth. She could only exist and retain her strength because even if no one believed in her, they believed in what she did. They believed in All Hallow’s Eve coming every year. As long as that belief existed, so could she._

“Is that how I existed for so long?” Jack asked.

Bunny blinked at him, “eh now?” he leaned forward, trying to read where Jack was.

Jack showed him the paragraph, “when you guys began losing belief, you got weak, but I never did. Is that why? Because kids still believed in winter and snow days, but not in Christmas or Easter?” after flicking over the paragraph, Bunnymund shrugged,

“Couldn’t tell ya.”

_However, people began to want those creatures they did not understand. They wanted the fear and the exhilaration. To see the creatures that hid in the shadows or at the very least be aware and wary of their presence. It was something Hallow could not understand. Why people would want to see the monsters she protected them from. And so, Hallow met Pitch._

“Woah, Woah, Woah. This girl was _friends_ with Pitch?!” Jack exclaimed, earning a twitch of the mouth from his fellow guardian,

“She was on better terms with him than we were. Quit getting distracted, keep reading or you ain’t gonna finish before next winter.”

 

_Pitch became almost a tutor for her. Guiding the young, inexperienced girl in the ways of people’s nightmares, explaining to her how there are people who thrive off of fear and the monsters. It was because of Pitch’s influence that she learned the extent of her abilities. The fragile balancing act between too much fear and just enough, and the true extent of darkness that lay beyond the gateway she protected. However she was fooled. Pitch gained her trust for it was something she easily gave. Once he had it, he attempted to open the gate that separated this world from the next. To flood the world with monsters and nightmares._

_Hallow did nothing to stop him. It is unknown whether she was an accomplice in this scheme, or unknowing. It is, however, important to take note that she is the only one with access to the gate unless she allows others to reach it. To some extent, she was responsible._

“That’s how the dark age came about.”

This time Jack looked up, “what?” he asked. Bunny’s expression was grim.

“The dark age. When we were first called upon as guardians. It happened because Pitch managed to let loose the shadows and the nightmares until the gate was closed again.” He sighed, “there’s no way it couldn’t have been her who opened it. She’s the only one who holds the key and she ain’t one to give it away” Bunny looked down at the book,

“She’s a trickster. More than that book tells you. She don’t care for the people she tricks either.” Well someone sounded grouchy. (Jack was willing to bet money that the Easter guardian had been on the receiving end of her tricks more times than he’d like.) He turned back to the book.

 

_Overall, Hallow is an unpredictable character, one who has no reputable allies or friends after Pitch’s betrayal. She rarely leaves her land, what she does there is not known. All that is know, is that she falls into a heavy sleep for six months, waking exactly three months before All Hallow’s Eve, sleeping again exactly three months after._

Jack paused again, “why does it just stop there?”

Bunny peered over his shoulder again, “there still more, mate. It hasn’t stopped.” Jack frowned and Bunny looked again, “you mean why does it just stop with her history there? Well, this book’s added to by The man in the moon. And in her world, Manny can’t reach her to check up on her. No one’s heard from her in years. She ends out her sweets and her pumpkins and her costumes to the kids, but we don’t see her. Not once in well over five hundred years. We know less about her than we do about the groundhog.” Jack gave a grin,

“She grows punpkins?” he chuckled to himself as he looked up at Bunnymund, “she honestly grows pumpkins?” a furred paw pointed to a small list at the bottom of the page.

 

**_Responsibilities_ **

_Hallow Eve holds many responsibilities to her holiday, many simple traditions, as well as many much more important:_

_~Pumpkins will be plentiful and grown on time for the families to carve, without early rotting, and in enough sizes for even the smallest hands to carve designs._

_~Costumes shall be embedded with enchantments which ward off the spirits and Fae folk who come through._

_~Confectionery will be plentiful without running out, with enough variety to keep all children content_

Jack laughed, “Are you telling me it’s genuinely a responsibility for her to make sure there’s enough candy for the kids?” even Bunny smiled at him,

“One of the few times she spoke to Tooth was an argument about exactly that.”

 

_~Creatures from the spirit world will be closely monitored; any passing through should be registered and accounted for upon returning._

_~wayward passers will be found and returned IMMEDIATELY._

_~The gate shall be protected at all times. No dangerous spirit or creature shall pass through. No one shall be allowed to use the Gate past it’s keeper._

The winter guardian read that last line four times, “she’s one girl…and she’s in charge of a whole different world? Why did Manny do that? And I still don’t get it. Why isn’t she full guardian? There doesn’t really seem to be much wrong. She does her job, and does it well if the Halloweens I’ve seen are anything to go by. And it even says she protects the kids from the horrors beyond whatever this ‘gate’ is. She may as well already be a guardian!” Once again, his fellow guardian’s face turned grim,

“Some people aren’t designed to be guardians. She sure a hell ain’t designed for it. She couldn’t protect that gate against even Pitch.”

Jack looked back at the book. Taking up the last page was another picture. This girl was very similar in looks to Hallow, but her smile was slightly kinder. Her hair, a deeper shade of red, not the pumpkin orange from before, short and messy around her head but tied in a long braid over one shoulder. Green eyes framed only by light makeup. Jack assumed her outfit was a costume, the shirt in silvery-grey and black, torn almost to shreds, the sleeves miraculously staying against her arms. The skirt matched the shirt, torn edges brushing around her knees. Her boots were knee high but made of loose fabric, tied to her legs with thick string…or was that vines again? He couldn’t tell. He pointed to it, “When she was human?”

Bunny gave a nod, “yeah.” His voice was low, quiet. Jack turned back to the book. Flicking the pages to look between the pictures.

Hallow was a Celtic born girl. She was carrying more responsibility than she should need to. She had a land, a home, that she rarely left. She wasn’t believed in. Just like Jack. The more he learned, the more he questioned. The more he wanted to know. Eyes meeting Hallow’s wide one in the picture, he asked himself again,

‘Who was Hallow Eve?’

“I guess the fastest way to find out about her is to talk to the girl in person, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's slow going, I know, and I'm sorry for that.


	4. Why?

"Forget it, Frostbite!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Not gonna happen. There is NO WAY I am going NEAR that place!"  
  
Jack sighed, tilting his head back to the sky for a moment before dropping it forward to face Bunny again, "look. I'm not asking you to come with me, I'm just asking you to get me there. Halloween's in three months and I wanna talk to her as soon as I can. If the book’s accurate then she'll be waking up soon. I want answers you can't give me!" Bunny bristled at that,  
  
"Well I might be if you'd ask 'em!"  
  
"No, you can't!" Jack replied, exasperated, "North explained to me a long time ago how a person has different layers. How what you see on the outside isn't always going to be all there is to a person. And yeah, maybe at first I didn't understand, but I do now. You saw that book-she told stories about creatures she couldn't see for years, then, when she COULD see them, she was terrified. Why? Why did she know about them, tell other people about them, but still be afraid of them?

“I wanna see her and make my own mind up about her. I wanna know why Manny put a kid MY AGE in charge of an entire plane of existence. I wanna know what else there is to her. I wanna learn about where she came from, and about what this gate is. I don't just want this doubt over my head that North calling her dangerous, Tooth calling her terrifying and you calling her a ratbag, whatever that translates to, may not be true, but I’m just accepting it because it’s what you’re saying.

“Despite the blizzards I caused you still gave me a chance, so why don't you do the same for her? You even SAID you hadn't heard from her in over 500 years! What if she was sick, or hurt? All you know about her is that she made some mistakes in who she chose as friends. Everyone does! Then afterwards, you guys didn't even give her a chance at your friendship." Bunny was silent. Both during and after Jack's little speech. He sighed again, softly, lowering his head, "I don't want prejudice against her hanging over me. I wanna see her, talk to her and listen to her and make up my own mind about this little kid you guys seem to think is so dangerous. Because there’s got to be more to her than trick and treats. That's not a bad thing to ask, is it?"  
  
Now Bunny decided to wake up, "she ain't no kid, Jack. Like it says, she's an old girl no matter the body she's in. And look, the last time I went near her land I was trying to be friendly. All I tried to do was give her an egg... I was chased eight miles by hellhounds and werewolves! That Easter, I came home and she'd left so many rotten pumpkins in the Warren that even when I got rid of them the smell stayed for weeks!" Bunny glared at the sniggering Frost spirit, "laugh it up now, it took me months to get rid of the smell enough to spend more than ten minutes down there." To that, Jack burst out laughing, the image of Bunny with a clothes peg on his nose and cleaning supplies in his hands too entertaining not to laugh at! The rabbit was visibly getting angrier the more Jack laughed, until the smaller guardian eventually had his laughter under control. He would need to bear that in mind. Imagine filling someone's room with rotten pumpkins!   
  
"Look, it's understandable. You don't wanna go. You've been tricked more times than you'd like. But that doesn't stop the fact that I'm going with no clue of where this 'land' of hers actually is." Personally Jack thought he was being reasonable. All he wanted was a tunnel to go alone to a potentially dangerous land with a potentially dangerous spirit in charge of a definitely dangerous army of supernatural creatures. Oh, who apparently kept werewolves as guard dogs. He wasn’t even making the rabbit guardian come with him! Speaking of the rabbit guardian…

“Jack, it ain’t just the jokes and pranks and tricks. Hell it ain’t even the wolves if you get right down to it. That place ain’t in the realms of the normal.” Jack rolled his eyes,

“Tooth lives in a castle in the sky, North lives in a workshop run by yetis and you like in a meadow only accessible through a hole in the ground. None of your worlds are normal. Why should hers be different? Bunny, please listen to yourself. You saw the book, and Manny would bring her back unless there was something more to her. You’re holding a grudge again! It’s like the blizzard of ’68 except with pumpkins!” Jack rose into the air, staring down at Bunny with an almost angry expression. Bunnymund met the expression with one of his own,

“You know what, fine. I’ll take you there mate. But you’re going in on your own. Then you’ll see what I mean” turning and hopping away, he missed the triumphant grin on Jack Frost’s face, and the bright light in his eyes. He had faced Pitch. He wasn’t afraid. 

* * *

 

Even if the others hated it, Jack loved travelling through Bunny’s tunnels. They made fantastic sledding courses if you iced over the ground. More than once Jack has gotten on his furry friend’s nerves by icing over the grounds of the tunnels to watch the eggs slipping and sliding during Easter. They were almost as fun to watch as the elves sometimes. And when the ice defrosted the tunnels got watered! Jack had once tried to explain how he was doing bunny a favour, but…

“Jack I swear you’d better stop icing my tunnels!” he still didn’t appreciate it.

“Oh come on! Jealous I can go faster than you?” he turned back, grinning at the rabbit who was trying to avoid the icy patches he was slipping on. Bunny gave a smirk,

“Cheating ain’t a good look for you Frostbite. Get rid of the ice and we’ll see who’s faster!” Jack grinned at him, turning back to continue his skating down the tunnel. Until a grey shape darted past him. Before Jack could blink, Bunny was off. Darting ahead of him and avoiding the ice to shoot through the tunnels, shouting back over his shoulder with a grin. “Gonna have to be quicker than that to keep up!”

The two were so caught up in their race, Jack almost missed when Bunny stopped in place. (Despite what Bunny says he did NOT slam into the wall at the end of the tunnel thank you!). He looked up, “we’re here?” Bunny nodded, the ground above them opening up into darkness. Jack looked back at Bunny, “you’re not coming?”

Bunny scoffed, “I told you mate, I’ll get you here but you’re on your own from there. You’re welcome to make all the impressions you want about the kid but I ain’t running from wolves again and I sure ain’t gonna change my mind about her. Jack simply shrugged. So be it, if the bunny was scared. He would go alone. He jumped out of the tunnel gracefully, not even getting the chance to look around before Bunny called up to him, “and mate, this is the closest I could get a tunnel. So before you complain about the eight miles walking you’re gonna have to do, know that it ain’t my fault that anywhere past this point only Sandy’s dream sand works. You’re on your own here! And with that, the tunnel closed.

Jack was alone in this strange new world. And it was alone he would face the Hallowed Lady. No backing out now then.


	5. Welcome to Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologise for the long wait...it just seemed right again.

The first thing Jack noticed was the sky. It was dark, full of starts that seemed to offer no light. The moon hung full above him, but it was different. This was not the Man in the Moon. It was cold and lifeless. An empty imitation. And it was with that thought that Jack truly realised what this world was. It was created, imitated, designed to block out everyone. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his head to view his surroundings.

The grass beneath his feet, upon closer inspection, was not simply dark because of the lack of light, it was black in colour. Or maybe dark grey…nope, that was black. Turning around, he notices that behind him where huge, sloping mountains and hills, Bunny's tunnel having opened up at the base of one. For some reason they intimidated Jack. He felt trapped. Like they would close in on him. He shuddered, turning away from the huge boundaries. Looking out into the distance, it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the weak lighting, but just faintly, he could see lights. Her home? He hoped so. If other people lived here, he wasn't sure he wanted to run into them. This was a place dedicated to thrills and horror, after all. Who knew what lived here?

Turning to look around again, he noticed small flowers growing around his feet. Bending down to touch one, he hissed as he felt the give of skin, and blood welling up under his fingertips. Sucking them into his mouth, he looked at the needle-like petals of the flowers, small as daisies, but the center of each a blood red. They seemed to nod at him in the invisible breeze, seeking out the blood the sharp petals had tasted. Jack grimaced as he looked at the small drops of blood still oozing from his fingertips. With a deep breath, he took to the air, trying to get a better look at the source of the lights far away from him before letting the wind carry him forward.

He had barely made it ten meters before he was falling.

"Woah, woah-ow!" Jack hit the ground hard, the grass not easing the fall in any way as he groaned, sitting up. The wind that had been carrying him had just cut off. There was nothing. It was then that Jack began to panic. To really panic It was now that it really kicked it. The fear, the paranoia. Alone. He was alone. If not even the wind could reach him here, then there was nothing. Nothing and no one to protect him. If something went wrong, he was alone. He wouldn't be able to get to any of the others. What if she really was dangerous? What if she really could control wolves and demons? He didn't realise he was hyperventilating until the lightheaded feeling took over.

"Hello?" Jack looked up. And then fainted at the sight of a very tall skeleton in a black and white suit.

* * *

 

 

The winter spirit woke up in an unfamiliar room, furnished with dark stone walls and polished wood flooring, dark (was that oak? Probably) wooden units and a narrow carved wardrobe stood against one wall. A red armchair sat next to the grand four poster bed Jack was currently lying on, buried under sheets and blankets of red and black. An arched window looked out onto the land, and he could see the mountains in the far distance. How had he travelled so far? The wind hadn't brought him. So then…?

The door opened and a young woman's face appeared around the corner. Long red hair and slim fingers. She seemed normal enough. Until Jack looked at her more closely, sitting upright on the bed he was lying on. Where those stitches? Around her mouth and…throat? And her skin, a pale blueish-greyish shade. She looked almost like a...a ragdoll! She smiled when she saw he was awake, her small mouth looking out of place as the stitches moved with her mouth,

"You're awake, thank goodness" once she had stepped into the room, Jack was able to see the stitches and thread covering her arms, legs, even over her collarbone. Out of instinct he looked for his staff. Spotting it in the corner of the room, he tried to struggle out of the heavy blankets trapping him to reach it, before a hand that gave off no bodily warmth was pressed against his shoulder. He flinched without meaning to, but the girl didn't seem to mind. A cup was pushed in front of his face,

"You're still trembling. Here, drink this" Jack could see the trembling in his hands as he took the cup, raising it to his mouth and taking a small sip. It tasted like…snow. Snow and apples and warmth. Before he realised, he had emptied the cup. Setting it down on his lap, he looked at the girl in front of him again. Strangely at a loss for anything to say for once. But he felt calmer now. Relaxed, even. The fear and panic he had been in before just seeming to melt away from him like the frost in summer.

"You pricked yourself on Shrieking Daisies." The winter spirit looked up at the girl's light voice, the ragdoll having sat in the chair next to him. He looked out of the window in the direction of the mountains,

"Those flowers?" The Ragdoll nodded,

"they're a method of protecting the outermost points of this land. If they scratch even the tiniest section of skin, the spores and toxins stored in the needles of their petals release a poison that induces fear, paranoia and panic into its victim. Usually just enough to make them turn back" That explained the sudden despair when he arrived. "Usually it wears off pretty quickly, but something must have triggered a strong reaction in you. You were still thrashing when Jack brought you here" Jack started,

"Wait, Jack?"

"Yes. My name is Sally. I'm a…friend of Jack's. But I suppose I should ask: who are you? We've not had anyone normal find their way here in centuries" she tilted her head at him as she watched him, bright eyed. Like he was a fascinating new species. It was more than a little creepy.

"I'm Jack Frost-" the ragdoll – Sally – gave a gasp, already impossibly wide eyes going even wider, taking up so much more of her face than should have been possible as she leaned towards him, the stitches once again being stretched grotesquely around her mouth as she smiled widely at him,

" _You're_ Jack Frost? Really? I was wondering when you'd be coming. Oh it's so good to see you in person." Jack's confusion must have been evident on his face, for Sally's excitement soon dulled down, "sorry, I suppose I should explain, you see-" she was cut off by the creaking of the door opening again, and Jack took a moment to freeze, but thankfully not screaming (or fainting again, Bunny would never let him live it down if he found out), as the tall skeletal person from before stepped into the room,

"Ah Sally, good to see the boy's awake!" the man (skeleton? What were you supposed to refer to him as?) Stated as he strode into the room, face sporting a wide, toothy grin. He held out a hand to Jack, which he shook out of politeness, the feel of cold, hard bones under his fingers instead of skin making him shudder a little, "Jack Skellington, at your service. And who might you be?" before Jack could answer, Sally did for him,

"This is Jack Frost, Jack" the girl giggled slightly at the strangeness of the two sharing their names, Jack giving a faint chuckle too, the sound dying in his throat as the skeleton turns back to him with a look of curiosity on the white skull,

"Jack Frost? Well, well, well! What a surprise to see a guardian here! Why, there's hasn't been another guardian here since – well you don't need to worry about that. What brings you here, Mr Frost?" Jack looked from one to the other, both their smiling faces staring at him…he felt intimidated. There was something about then that just seem to instil fear even when it was obvious they were friendly enough. It made him feel embarrassed over the request he was about to make. But he was here now, so…

"I wanted to meet Hallow"


	6. Who Are You?

_"I wanted to meet Hallow"_

In front of him, the two had gone quiet, Sally watching Jack (Skellington) and Jack watching him. The smile was gone now, replaced with…shock, perhaps? The two Halloween creatures exchanged looks equally unreadable to Jack (Frost) before Sally nodded once. The suited skeleton turned back to the winter spirit, still seeming apprehensive,

"Well, you see, Jack. We would love for you to meet her, but she's not up to visitors right now and-"

"I know she sleeps for half a year, but it's nearly August! She must be waking up soon, isn't she?"

Sally took over the explanation, "it's not that easy, Jack. You see, she doesn't really…appreciate when Guardians visit. I understand she's never met you, but there are some…events that happened in the past that prejudiced her against Guardians. We don't want you to get hurt, is what Jack means" she gave a small smile, and Jack (Skellington) rested a hand on her shoulder,

"Sally's right. The last guardian to visit was chased by the hellhounds before he even reached the gate. I brought you up here but not because I had her approval to do so. Not that she could really have given it...but you understand." Jack (S) looked up to what Jack (F) assumed was Hallow's room, before lowering his head again, "I'm sure you don't want her to hurt you either, do you?" Well, were it not for the way his powers suddenly cut out, Jack (F) wouldn't be worried, but…

"I'm here now. There's no point in going back just before you've reaches where you want to be. I asked my friends, they've called her dangerous, they've called her terrible, but her record doesn't make her seem anything like that. I've said this so many times it's getting boring now – I just want to see her for myself. I want to know her from my own experiences." Jack (F) gave a harsh sigh. This was getting on his nerves now. This was one girl, and the amount of hardship he was going through was ridiculous!

It began to make him wonder if it was worth it. What if she really was just a little brat? What if she was as scary as Tooth had said? If she really was dangerous, then she would have more years of experience behind her and more monsters and nightmares than Pitch. And these nightmares wouldn't just be Pitch's sands and shadows. These would be real, touchable, and deadly.

Jack mentally shook himself hard.

He was not going to give up! For Christ's sake! If he was doubting himself over this, how was he going to last as a guardian if the few children's belief he held stopped believing in him? He pulled himself out of his mental debate just in time to see the conversation Jack (S) and Sally seemed to have been having. Jack (S) gave a sigh and turned to face the spirit of winter,

"I really don't think it would be safe for you to-" Jack (F) shot a look of heavy annoyance at the skeleton,

"Are you just gonna tell me she's dangerous too?"

Both faces wore equal expressions of surprise at his words, Sally speaking up first, "dangerous? Of course she's not dangerous! Why would you think that? She a lovely girl, strict where she needs to be, and strong, definitely, but not-"

"I don't see how you could ever even think that! Hallow is nothing short of adorable even on bad days. The finest trickster it has ever been my pleasure to meet, and certainly not _dangerous_  of all things!" Jack's (S) words were accompanied by sweeping gestures with his arms, which made it difficult for Jack (F) to doubt what he was saying. He sounded honest and passionate as he spoke. But then that would mean she wasn't the vicious creature his friends had made her out to be.

Jack (S) giving a sigh as he rested his head on his bony hands in though brought him back to the world of the living (or…dead, considering, you know…skeletons?) He looked at Sally, who tilted her head at him with a smile. He turned back to Jack (F),

"Alright, you win. She  _will_  be waking up shortly, so I'll take you to see her. On one condition!" and then Jack (F) had a face full of skeleton poiting a finger at him like a disobedient child, "If she tells you to leave, or if there is a sign you should leave, you WILL leave immediately! Understood?" Jack (F) nodded a few times, eyes widening. There it was again, that thing about this place and the people here that just instilled fear. Oh who was he kidding? This place was MADE of fear. Thrived on in. But not like Pitch's world had. This was a different sort of fear. The fear of inevitably hitting the ground as you were falling.

Jack (S) leaned back, seemingly satisfied with Jack's (F) agreement, and motioned for the winter spirit to follow as he headed for the door. It was as Jack (F) was reaching for his staff that Sally's slender hand rested on his shoulder, he turned to face her wide eyes and stitched smile,

"Don't judge Hallow by what you first see. That will be your biggest mistake…" her smiles almost seemed sad as she let go of Jack's arm, giving a faint wave as he left the room, following after the suited skeleton.

* * *

 

 

A hand of bones fell onto his back as he walked, and he looked up at Jack (S), the skeleton was frowning at him, "what is your fascination with Miss Eve? Most people would simply ask someone else about a person and leave it at that, not travel all the way to a place crawling with goblins, ghouls and ghosts" Jack filed that information away for future reference, and shrugged,

"At first, I just wanted someone my own age to talk to and to mess around with for a little. I mean, even if you make friends with children, where are they going to be in eighty years time? And I'll still be stuck just the same…I asked North if there was anyone else, he mentioned Hallow. He was the one who called her dangerous. Tooth – Tooth told me she was scary and powerful, and Bunny gave me a short record of her past. So at first I probably did think she was 'evil'. But I've met Pitch, and no one brought about the fear that he did, s I couldn't see how…and then you and Sally said she was lovely…I guess…I dunno, I guess I just want to see for myself and make up my own mind. That, and it seems like she needs a friend outside this place, if she spends six months sleeping."

The skeleton nodded in understanding, "Well, here we are" they had stopped at the bottom of a spiralling staircase, "she always had a love of the traditional, towers, stairways and all that. Just keep going straight up and the door at the very top is her bedroom. I would come with you, but I have pumpkin seeds to sow!" With another flourish, Jack (S) turned and walked away, humming as he went.

Well then.

Jack (F) turned back to the staircase and began to walk. Each step echoed off of the stone walls. Loud and clear in the empty space. Jack passed door after door, curiosity making him pause before driving onwards, and by the fifth door wishing, again, the wind could just carry him.

He was out of breath by the time he finally, finally reached the last doorway, made of black oak wood, a heavy iron handle to the left of the door, curving into an archway at the top. A typical old-castle doorway. Jack spent a few moments longer staring at it before knocking with the top of his staff. No answer. He waited a few moments more before knocking again. It paid to be polite after all. Still, no answer.

Slowly grasping the iron handle, he pushed against the heavy door until it swung open. He leaned forward instead of just waltzing straight in, looking around the circular room. Polished wooden flooring and stone walls, jut like the bedroom he had been in. A thin wardrobe was pushed against the wall as best as it could be. A small cabinet. Two windows on opposing sides of the room, letting in the artificial moonlight. A curved fireplace set impressively into the wall, with a small table, a deep red and gold carpet and a comfy looking black couch sitting in front of it. The fire was unlit. Not even ash nor embers remained in the hearth, yet the room was pleasantly warm. Not overly so for Jack, but enough to be enjoyable.

Finally stood a huge bed, the main feature of the room, with the foot of it directly opposite from the door. Four poster, draped with thin, reddish-orange curtains. Taking slow steps through the room, Jack called out softly,

"Hello? Anyone here…? Hallow?" by the time he'd reached the side of the bed, there had still be no answer. He stood there, debating with himself for a long while whether or not to push back the curtains. He leaned against his staff as he thought-

-Before crashing into the bedside unit as his staff was wrenched upwards from his grasp. He gasped at the pain as the sharp edges of the furniture pressed into his arms and chest from the fall, before pushing himself up and whipping his head around, looking around the room in panic. No one was there.

"Who are you? Hm?" a fierce voice leapt through the room, childish but angry. Coming from…above?

Jack raised his head, blue eyes meeting with the abnormally bright yellow of a girl hanging upside down from the wooden bars and supports in the ceiling. Before Jack even opened his mouth, she spoke again, twirling his staff and pointing it accusingly at him, but still miles out of reach,

**_"Who are you?!"_ **


	7. Fiery Little Thing

Jack took a moment to stand in shock as he stared at her. With her legs hooked around the wooden bar, she reminded Jack of a monkey. Heck, he could even picture the tail if he looked at her long enough. This was really her. In front of him was the girl he had heard so much, and yet still so little about. Still holding his staff. Right.

"Hey, mind if I have that back?" he tried, motioning to his staff and holding out a hand for it. The girl frowned, looking from him to the staff, then looking back at him,

"I do mind." Jack frowned slightly at her, before his eyes widened in shock when she seemed to completely relax, letting her legs unwrap from the thick wooden bar, dropping herself towards the floor.

It was with a shout that Jack started forward, intent on at least breaking her fall, before she twisted in the air, landing perfectly on her feet, raising her head to glare at him again, "Guardians should know they're not welcome here!" and that was the end of Jack's own staff being poked into his chest whist the bizarre accent buzzed round him. He felt like half of him was missing without it, wanting to just reach it out and take it back. But that could backfire if she decided to bring up some of the dead. So…let's try this approach:

"How do you know I'm a Guardian?"

"The power flow around you. Only guardians have that sort of energy. But you're none of the ones I've seen before…so who ARE you?" and we were back to his question.

Jack rubbed a hand through the back of his hair, "my name's Jack Frost, and-"

"Jack…Jack FROST? Bringer of snowfalls, creator of winters, Jack Frost?" what the…? Why was she angry again? He took a step back with a wince as the girl's grip on his staff tightened and she practically shouted at him, "You're the one who ruined all my pumpkins with your infernal cold weather! I worked for weeks to have them all ready in time and you went and ruined them the second I'd gotten them placed!" she was an inch away from him now, a good few inches shorter than him but by no means any less fierce for it. Jack was…almost frightened.

He tried to raise his hands in the gesture of surrender, but had barely started moving them when she seemed to realise something and move back, "how did you get here? No ones powers work inside my realm, I designed it that way. Who brought you here?"

"Look would you let me talk for a sec? I'll explain" the girl blinked, then leaned back from him, holding the staff behind her and oh Jack wanted it back…focus. Now she was quiet, Jack took a moment to look at her. Her pumpkin orange hair was messily pulled over one shoulder in a waving pony tail. She was shorter than Jack – not by much, but enough to be obvious. 5ft 3, 5ft 4 maybe? but what he had not been expecting was for her to be so…young. She was definitely young, small and fairly skinny in stature, there was no way she could have been more than fourteen. Although...Celtic-born girl, less to eat, people didn't develop as well…it made sense if Jack thought about it. Maybe she was older.

A hard jab in the shoulder brought him back from his little world of staring at the child in front of him. For that was what she was. There was no other word for it. A frown was placed on the pale face as she looked at him, "you said you'd explain. I don't think staring at me counts."

Jack nodded, "Right. Right. Well, look I'm not here because I want to hurt you-"

"As if you could" she mumbled. Jack decided to ignore that comment,

"I heard about you from some friends of mine-"

"You mean the other guardians?" her frown became a full-on glare as Jack reached out and clasped his hand over her mouth, yellow eyes blinking in surprise as he began talking fast,

"And I wanted to meet you in person to see what sort of a person you really are. I'm not here to hurt you or tease you or blame you for anything you've done because I wasn't here to know!" her eyes widened, Jack slowly taking his hand from her mouth before her face contorted in anger and malice,

"How do you know there's anything to blame me for anyway? If you really wanted to know me, you would have come without any preconceptions to prejudice you! Instead you walk in here knowing only what the so-called 'Guardians' have told you because you just want to see if I'm really the dangerous little apprentice of nightmares they all saw me as!" She was practically screaming at him now, her grip on his staff almost shattering. Jack could feel the wood creaking under her fingers, genuinely fearing for it. It felt like that hand was constricting around his heart. He tried to reach out but she simply stepped back.

Jack was contemplating grabbing his staff from her, even if it meant tackling her to the floor, before the little girl's eyes went wide and her face flushed red. Jack looked at her for a moment before realising what was wrong. He was standing in a girl's bedroom. With said girl in only a pair of sleep shorts and a vest. It was with a shriek like a harpy and a pair of hands stronger than they should have been pushing him towards the door that he was exiled from the room.

And she still had his staff. Damn…

* * *

He tried to be patient as he heard her tumbling about her room from the other side of the door. Thinking over what he had just heard, what he had just seen. She was a child. Younger than Jack, it was impossible that she was eighteen or older. She seemed to be holding a grudge, that was for sure, and five hundred years was a long time to hold it.

"What do you think then?" a voice said softly. He turned, seeing Sally standing a few steps down. She was smiling softly, and Jack couldn't help but smile back,

"She's definitely a little wild, isn't she?"

Sally gave a small chuckle, "yes, I suppose you could say that. Of course, she's always a little on the irritable side when she first wakes up. Wait until you see her begin to work. She's so focused and happy." Her voice seemed to become saddened, "sometimes it seems like the only time it is." Jack understood what she meant,

"I'm not gonna give up on her. I'll try and be a friend to her. I think you're right, no mater what she says, she wants someone to talk to." Sally nodded,

"Perhaps for now you should go and wait by the main room, the torches will lead you. I'll try and get your staff back from Hallow." Sally gave a soft giggle, "but I hope you're ready to play 'catch', it's her favourite game"

Jack had a feeling he was going to like Hallow. Once he really got to know her, at least.


	8. Family

When Sally had said the torches would guide him, he hadn't realised she'd meant literally. As soon as he was at the bottom of the spiralling stairway, every nerve in his body still telling him to run back for his staff, two torches on the wall sprung to life, casting flickering shadows over the stone walls and making Jack jump in surprise. Then a grin spread across his face. Taking a few steps towards the torches, he gave a laugh when they went out, only to relight further down the corridor.

He began to run. Chasing the torches and trying to keep ahead of them, laughing to himself before something cold brushed him by, until an indignant squawk made him stop. Feet skidding across the stone floor as he slowed to a stop and turned around,

"Sorry, I didn't see you and-" …he still didn't see anyone. Looking down the corridor, turning around, no one. "Hello?" he tried calling. A sound of someone giving an almost impatient sigh, and a cold tap on his shoulder. He turned to the side. Nothing. "Who's there? Stop messing about!"

Strangely, his reply was a laugh. "Up here, stupid" A voice, distinctly male, said from above. Slowly raising his head, he was met with the smile of a young man, short red hair in a mess around his face and his eyes a soft hazel. He was smiling at Jack, expression open and soft as he...floated? The spirit lowered himself to the floor, still looking down at Jack,

"Y-you're…" Jack began, blue eyes wide as he took in the flicker of torchlight he was seeing through the person standing in long robes before him. The young man shrugged, he seemed unfazed as he smiled again,

"I'd hoped we'd established I'm a ghost, since you did so carefully walk through me a moment ago. But who are you? Why're you in my sister's castle? You're obviously not a ghost, and you don't have the features of a Fae. The vampires are all sleeping and the lycanthropes are out gallivanting under the moon. I'd say you were elf-kind, but they have no reason to come this far and your ears look normal. So…you must be an outsider! It's been a long time since one of you got here." This man reminded him of Tooth. Hyper, talking a mile a minute and practically buzzing with energy as he circled Jack. Wait a moment, had he said-?

"Did you say your sister?" come to think of it, hadn't the record said she had two brothers? When the man nodded, he felt a smile of his own spread across his face, beginning to see the resemblance now. The soft features, open expression, red hair, even the same light English accent…it was all so similar, and yet with the anger he had just seen on little Hallow's features, it still seemed almost impossible to believe this light, happy person was a relative of hers. "Is it genetics or personal choice to always stay near the ceiling?" he asked just to break the silence. The male laughed lightly, seeming to understand to what Jack was referring "So which are you? Caohm or Áedán?"

The man bowed, grinning when he raised his head again, "Áedán. But please, you must not let Hallow know. She had enough trouble dealing with Caohm. I don't need her to cry over me when she has no reason to."

That confused Jack, "what do you mean 'dealing with Caohm', wouldn't she be happy her brother was here?" Áedán looked confused for a moment, before his eyes went wide,

"You don't-? I thought because you knew our names…oh dear…" he gave an awkward smile, "look, it's not my place to tell, but know and remember this. Some of us are here by choice, and others by force. It is worse for her to know we exist here." He gave a knowing smile to Jack, "this place is full of spirits, so she doesn't register me amongst the others. I'd rather keep it that way."

Still confused, Jack just nodded, "not telling the miniature hurricane her brother's floating around her house. Got it." Áedán gave a loud, barking laugh,

"Miniature hurricane? Oh that is a good one! I'm assuming you met her just as she was waking up?" still chuckling, Jack couldn't help but smile too. Áedán had something about him, the sort of thing that made you want to smile. Hallow could do with that, Jack thought. A smile.

Beginning to float down the corridor again, Áedán turned back to Jack, making a beckoning movement, intending for him to follow. "You didn't tell me what you're here for. Or who you are for that matter. You're not a normal outsider, are you?"

"Guardian, actually…" Jack watched the older male give a slight wince,

"Ouch, no wonder she went 'Hurricane Hallow' on you." The male said with a grin. Jack gave a chuckle of his own,

"Yeah, I've kinda already been warned a lot that she doesn't like Guardians. And then Sally told me she just needs a friend. And THEN I was told by Hallow herself that I came to her with prejudice because I spoke to others first." He hesitated as he remembered something she had called herself, looking up at Áedán, "does the term… 'Apprentice of Nightmares' mean anything to you?" Áedán paused, then looked at Jack, his hazel eyes lacking the light from before as he looked at Jack,

"Did she call herself that?" Jack half nodded-half shrugged. He'd already guessed it had something to do with Pitch, but…"It became the Guardian's name for her, after…after something rather dangerous and fairly important went wrong. And this is where you're supposed to be! I need to disappear before Hallow sees me, but I hope to see you again, Jack Frost." Right…not going to get a straight answer out of him then. Great. Sudden realisation struck and, turning around to call out, he called down the empty corridor,

"I didn't tell you my name!" the laughter echoed back down the corridor.

* * *

The sitting room Sally had told him to wait reminded him a lot of a tomb. Even the couch was coffin shaped. Not one of the modern coffins Jack has seen during the odd procession either, but with a thinner, smaller seat at one end and a longer, wider seat at the other, the perfect width for a person to lie and have it tapered to their body. A low table sat in front of him with comfy-looking black armchairs facing each other at either end. A black rug on the floor, another fireplace, and candles and torches everywhere. They covered the wall space at even intervals, casting eerie shadows everywhere. Sometimes, Jack would even swear he could see flickers of blue or white light, just like the one Áedán had been giving off. Or soft whisperings and giggles bouncing off the walls. It made him shiver despite the amount of fire and warmth in the room.

Of course. The kid loved old, creepy castles and had complete control over the dead. Why NOT make it haunted while you were decorating? The thing that caught his eye most, however, was the huge grand piano just a little to the left of the fireplace, facing so the pianist could look up and see the room at any point. It seemed to shine as the glossy surfaces reflected the torchlight. Somehow, it just didn't seem to match. A little like Jack. He didn't match this dark world either.

But…It just didn't feel like Pitch. Here he was, in a world that housed some of the most terrifying creatures, demons and monsters humanity could imagine…and he felt more at peace than he had against Pitch's black sand. It was crazy, but true. There was something almost inviting about the place even though Hallow seemed so convinced to show him otherwise. Despite what the others had said, he felt calm here. Like he knew there was nothing that would hurt him. Not unless Hallow wanted it to, anyway.

Speak of the devil…

The door was pushed open and in stepped The Hallowed Lady once again, head held childishly high and Jack's staff still in hand, dressed now as Jack had seen her picture. She looked like a child trying to be dignified after doing the wrong thing. It was almost funny. Sally walked behind with a hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle smile to Jack. Hallow wasn't smiling. She frowned at him; practically pouting with how far out her bottom lip was going,

"Sally says I need to apologise to you. And give you back your staff. So I said I'll say sorry for scaring you, even though I'm not. And for shouting at you and not giving you a warm welcome-" didn't she know how warm and surprisingly welcoming this place already was? - "but…" her red-painted lips rose in what Jack was beginning to think was her signature mischievous grin.

She began slowly walking forward, flicking her feet up and stepping down toe-first, like a dancer. "If you want your staff back…" Sally's expression had turned to one of knowing realisation. She had taken a few steps back and opened the door, whilst Hallow was very close to Jack now, leaning forward and – yes, there was the family resemblance, he could almost see where her bright eyes would have once been a pretty hazel – grinning at him,

"Let's play a game. Shall we? I heard the infamous Guardian of Fun was fond of them." She gave a soft giggle. For a small second, Jack felt nervous of what sort of games a woman living in a world of horror could create. It seemed, however, that he had no reason to.

"The rules for this one are simple. Catch me, Prince of Winter. And then I'll return what I took!" Jack barely had time to register the words before she was turning the corner outside the door, laughing loudly enough to echo back as Jack looked at Sally.

Sally motioned to the door, giggling softly (why didn't it reach her eyes? Hallow was smiling, wasn't she? why didn't Sally look happier about it?), "I warned you, did I not? She enjoys 'Catch'. I'd get running. She's needed a decent playmate for a while" And somehow, but by no means regretting it, Jack found himself laughing too as he raced out the door, swinging himself on the doorframe to chase the flicker of orange running down the corridor.

She was playful then. She wanted to play-Jack could do that. Jack could give her fun and games in spades; could play as long as it took for her to trust him. But then he wanted some answers. Answers he felt he'd waited long enough for. For now, though he would play catch with her. He enjoyed games too, after all.


	9. Toying

Jack's lungs burned with the strain of running in such a human fashion. He could feel his heart pounding as he chased after the spirit. Without his staff, and the wind to carry him, it was beginning to take its toll on him. Through corridor after corridor they ran, sometimes cheered on by disembodied laughter voices as they went. It reminded Jack of being human again, running like this without the wind to carry him along. His breathing was heavy as he chased after the orange and black spark. Through corridor after corridor she lead him, until the heavy pushing of a door gave Jack not only time to catch up, but took the two out into the rest of Hallow's world.

For a moment, Jack was shocked as he looked out over the huge, vast land. For nothing he had imagined or pictured for a spirit of Halloween could ever match reality. He had pictured darkness and death, covered in the smell of blood and spirits like a battlefield for the damned. Dark though it was, the artificial moonlight gave plenty to see by, illuminating the huge, steeply sloping hill her castle was stationed on. A path wound down the hill, snaking and twisting, but from here, Jack could see almost everything. Only about a mile or so from the castle were the lights and walls that signalled a town of some sorts.

Between them were huge fields stretching out to the sides for miles, empty for now, but Jack could guess what they would hold. He could see a swirl of fog covering one area of the land, huge rock mountains in the distance with…was that snow? Yes! Snow caps! Covering vast expanses of land below were forests. Acres and acres of forest, towering trees that rustled and moved without a breeze…the moon's soft reflection on what could only be water. A lake? No…even bigger than a lake…almost like she had taken an ocean and trapped it in that space.

He couldn't help but call it beautiful. The whole place brimmed and buzzed with life, blossomed with it. He could see lights in the town; hear the faint howling of wolves in the distance, and bats screeched as they flew across the sky. Everything had energy to it.

"Winter Prince?" a voice asked him, snapping Jack from his reverie. He had almost forgotten what he had been doing. Hallow was walking back up the winding hill path towards him, frowning, head cocked to the side and Jack's staff behind her back. He gave her a huge, face-splitting grin,

"This world is amazing…" it was such a simple truth, three simple words. But Hallow's face seemed to lose its mask for a moment. Jack had not realised one had been in place until he saw it fall. Such an amazing change it was…the barriers of anger, apathy, trickery and mischief were stripped away with the suddenness of that statement, leaving only herself behind. Just like when she had grinned at Jack in the main room, there was an open honesty to her face now.

And that honesty showed her shock and pure joy at his words.

Too soon did she turn her face away, hair hiding any smile until the mask was refastened and she turned back to Jack. But that mask was not perfect now. There was a lightness to her now. Jack considered what he had said. Such simple words. People held compliments close, didn't they?

She was holding out his staff to him,

"Sorry…for taking it…" she was smiling up at him, and Jack gave a smile back as he reached out, closing his hand around the staff as well. This was easy. Compliments and kindness. That's what she needed.

"That's alri-" with a grin, she pulled back from him, jerking him forward as his staff once again slipped from his grasp as she started running again, calling back over her shoulder,

"You trust too easily!" Jack was sure his face was in shock, before he sighed and started running after her again. Compliments and kindness. She was a kid as much as Jamie, and kids liked games.

* * *

By the time she finally seemed to stop running, Jack felt more worn out than when he had tried racing Bunny and Tooth together. They had run straight past the town, not even passing through it. For a girl who'd only been awake for an hour, she was a fast little thing.

It was deep into the forest she finally stopped, thick trees and long green grass, bleached by the moonlight. In the center, a huge twisting oak tree, knotted and gnarled, thick-trunked with branches low enough for Jack to grab if he tried. By the time he reached the clearing and re-caught his breath, Hallow had thrown his staff towards his feet, sitting on one of the lower branches.

Jack sighed in relief, smiling slightly as he felt the comforting weight in his hands again. "I don't understand you." He looked up at Hallow. Her smile had faded, replaced with a look of contemplation and blank apathy. Resting his staff against his shoulder, he walked towards her. She didn't move. She watched him from the tree, the moon filtering onto her face. Jack stopped at the bottom of the tree, looking up at her,

"I don't understand you either." Her mouth twitched,

"Why did you come here? Why really?"

Jack could only shrug, "I told you, I want to know you."

"You've met me and you're still here."

"Meeting and knowing aren't the same."

"To know a person can lead to things a simple meeting will not allow"

"…You know you talk funny." Hallow's mouth twitched again. Jack could tell she was fighting a smile, but her eyes remained the same. Such a bright yellow, dulled without a smile.

"I was not born to your time, nor to your country. It's natural I'd speak differently" she said with a shrug, uncrossing her ankles and swinging her feet back and forth on the tree branch. Jack stepped closer, leaning against the trunk

"You called me Prejudiced before." Hallow nodded. Jack looked up at her with a smile, "but aren't you too? You won't even try to get to know me just because I'm a Guardian, you won't let anyone in just because something bad happened to you." He tilted his head. Hallow's feet had stopped moving. Her entire body was still. Orange waves fell around her face, but she made no move to push them back.

"No one explained to you, did they?" she asked softly. Jack tried to lean closer, to hear her better. She was finally talking, finally close to giving him something that might help him make friends with her and he wasn't going to miss out,

"Explained what?"

Hallow turned her head to look at him, her right hand rising up and grasping something around her throat,

"No one explained o you what my job really is. Did they? No one told you what I really do. They just said I guard the realm of spirits, I bet." slowly, an almost sad smile brushed her face, "But you'll soon see. It's so much more than that. There's so much more than you could know. Everything here…everything is different behind what you see. Even me. You'll see soon." The words were obviously supposed to be chilling, to frighten Jack. Thankfully, he only picked up on one thing,

"So. I can stay then?"

A moment of surprise, then a loud, cheery laugh. Yes, Jack thought. He could stay.


	10. Tell me, Tell me

"So who exactly lives here?"

"Everyone who dies goes to the gate. If they prove themselves worthy enough, they can come through to here and live in this part, they rule the lands while I sleep"

"And why do you sleep?"

"Not telling."

"Okay…what about angels? Do they live here too?"

"…In a sense, I suppose. But not all angels can keep their wings."

"What do you mean?"

"Not telling" going by the grin on her face, Jack guessed she was enjoying withholding the information from him. Still, he hadn't expected her to tell him everything right away. The two of them were sitting in the branches of the oak tree, Hallow tilting her head back to the sky. Jack tilted his own back to follow her view.

"Tell me something."

"Like what?"

"Anything. Tell me anything about you." The grin faltered a little, and Jack poked her in the shoulder, "Hey. C'mon will you? I'm not gonna judge you for anything. Tell me…" he remembered a game Jamie had told him about when he got a new girl in his class that was shy. It didn't do much, but it got the girl talking at least. Maybe he'd have better luck that way "…tell me your favourite animal!" Hallow turned to face him and blinked a few times at the question. She'd probably been expecting questions probing into her past. Fingers crossed them. She shook her head a little,

"Random question, isn't it?" Jack grinned this time,

"Would you answer it if it wasn't?" Hallow made that small giggling sound again, staring to the sky and closing her eyes, humming softly. For a while longer they were silent, until Jack felt the urge to fidget. He wasn't used to sitting in silence and stillness for too long. He began, instead, to notice the forest. How it was alarmingly still. No birds, no rustling leaves. The silence was eerie.

Jack wondered why it was so quiet here. It had seemed like it would be full of life here. Full of creatures to see and know and explore. But it seemed besides from Sally, Jack and Hallow's own brother. He'd yet to se anything. Where was everything?

"Dragon" the word, a sudden contrast to the silence, sounded louder than it could have been, but it was enough to startle Jack into looking around at her, she smiled at him, "You asked my favourite creature. Dragon. Riding a dragon…" she sighed, a soft smile gracing her features and she closed her eyes, "it's an incredible feeling. There's a mutual trust between rider and steed, and there has to be. You may be on the scaled back of a creature more than ten times your size, but that same creature could throw you off in an instant. There is no dominance. There cannot be. The dragon is ultimately the one in charge, but it will listen and take you where it is you want to go as long as it likes you enough - the same as any steed. Humans…they think they can own, manipulate, mould into what they want. But there's so much more to it than that. You lose the beauty. The thrill is when you DON'T posses it. When you are possessed BY it. That is true for Dragons more than anything. They belong to the skies and to their dens, not to the men or even to me. They trust you to respect that. You trust them to carry you. It's exhilarating, to feel that bond, to feel scale and muscle shift under you, hear the heavy beating of wings pushing back air and carrying such a huge creature as well as your own weight along. It's indescribable…"

Hallow gave a soft sigh, obviously lost in a memory. Jack smiled at her, before reaching out and tapping her on the shoulder, her entire body jerking before she blushed, smiling, "Sorry, sorry…got carried away"

Jack shrugged, "You seemed happy enough" he smiled, "so I'm guessing you have dragons here then?" Hallow nodded, "What else do you have?"

"…Erm…Dragons, Demons, Mermaids, Werewolves, Elves, Fae, Ghosts, Wyrms, Nymphs, Sirens, Golems, Vampires, Angels, Faeries, Ghouls, Zombies, Gryphons, Lamia, Skeletons…don't even get me started on everyone and everything that lives in The Town. This whole place houses anything the human mind can create, as well as anything it has ever feared. The things here are vast in quantity, even I don't know exactly how many there are or how spread out they are." Jack looked confused at that,

"If there's so many, how comes this area's so quiet? If there were creatures around, wouldn't we hear them?"

"They never come here unless I tell them to...well, besides from the wood nymphs but I can't exactly stop them. This is my area and usually mine alone. I come here to think or relax. Normally when I first wake up I'll come here before-" she gave a gasp as she looked up at the moon, "-I'm late!" Jumping from the branch, she ran in the direction of the trees,

"Hey, wait! Late for what?!"

"Meeting with the queen! The wood nymphs will guide you out!" Jack watched her disappear into the trees before jumping from the tree and heading to follow. Suddenly, the entire clearing filled with soft, disembodied laughter. He stepped towards the clearing only to find the way blocked by trees. They creaked around him, their branches bending and stopping his path. When he tried to climb through them, they just became thicker, blocking him.

" _You shouldn't follow…"_  the voices echoed around him,

"And I guess you're the wood nymphs, huh?" a high pitched giggling, like a spring breeze, tipped with cold as it rolled past him. He guessed that was a yes, "Where's she even going?" there was a soft hum in the air, then Jack's eyes were drawn to the tree. The bark seemed to be shifting...were those? There were shapes pressing out of the bark, the rough texture coming with it. In an almost chameleonic manner, the shape of arms, shoulders…a head and torso eventually pulling away from the bark, elbows still connected as he rough texture faded into dark skin, green eyes and long brown hair. Elbows and waist down still connected and faded into rough bark, but from the top, Jack was talking to a woman.

"Oh…so that's what a nymph is." The creature in front of him laughed and around him Jack could see other creatures slowly coming apart from their trees. The dark skinned one in front of him leaned forward a little.

" _To the Fae…to the Fae…Our lady meets with the Fae_ " the voice seemed to carry to him without the Nymph's mouth moving. Watching the creature lean towards in from the tree, he heard a noise like creaking branches, bright, glowing green eyes looking at him from underneath long lashes, " _what business do YOU have to follow?"_  Jack paused.

What business did he have? He'd met her, like he wanted. There was no business left really! So what was the right answer…? The Nymph grinned with unnaturally white, unnaturally sharp teeth at his hesitation. That was when he realised his answer, and returning the grin with one of his own,

"She seems like someone who doesn't get a good time very much, so I just want show her what fun is." The Nymph's head tilted with the same sound of creaking branches, dark mouth parting to show razor sharp teeth that had the hair on Jack's neck rising.

_"She will expel you if you follow. However…we shall let you scry for her."_

"Scrying?" the Nymph laughed,

 _"The art of seeing without being within sight. Using glass, mirror, water…or ice…"_ The nymph turned her head to the left. Following her gaze, he saw a few small branches of her tree and those of the tree next to her locking and weaving together, like interlocking fingers, eventually forming an oval shape in the centre about a foot by a foot and a half. Slowly, it dawned on Jack what they expected and he tapped his staff to the edges of the branches, dragging it along until a thick sheet of ice formed in the oval, his distorted reflection looking back at him. In his peripheral vision, he could see the nymphs in both trees wincing and shivering. Hm…

He looked at the sheet of ice for a few moments more before turning back to the trees, "what am I supposed to do now? I made the ice, but you're not really giving me much to work with. Is it a spell or what?" the nymph gave a smile, giggling echoing around him before the girl leaned towards the ice pale and softly murmured,

 _"Domine tenebras videat…"_  Jack didn't know much Latin, only the odd word here or there that he'd picked up from various people (doctors and historians mainly. Boring)and definitely not enough to translate what they were saying. As the woman-like creatures blended back with their trees, Jack watched as the ice began to turn paler, them clearer. Slowly, his ice pane became a mirror. Shapes forming inside…More than just Hallow. As they came into clearer focus, he felt a shudder run up his spine.

Definitely more than just Hallow.

 


	11. Scrying for a Child

"You're Late, My Dear."

Hallow stood just outside the large ring of strange mushrooms, purple in their colour. Her face had lost its anger, lost its playfulness. It was passive and empty, perhaps 'stony'. Her bright eyes trained on the figure on the opposite side of the ring.

"I'm here, aren't I? Let's just get this over with." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air and drawing laughter out of whoever it was she was speaking to. Shadows began shifting around them, slowly becoming sharper and more focused. More creatures.

"So you can return to your new fascination. Yes, little one, we know of your new friend. The one you call 'Winter Prince'" Hallow's face remained passive. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. The person stepped further into the light to reveal a woman…of sorts at least.

Long black hair sat in complicated braids, threaded with yellow witch-hazel down to her feet. Twisted and piled around a face that seemed to shift from youthful to elderly to a child to an old crone…never seeming to stay as one person. In forest green robes and a crown of thorns, thistles and black orchids she stood, mouth twisting into a smile at Hallow. Around the two, creatures with leathery skin began crawling forward, bodies twisted and contorted as they moved with actions no human could make. They climbed over the trees and grass, faces stretched and distorted, lipless mouths opening to reveal shark-like teeth as they hissed and shrieked, crawling towards the two only to leap back as though burned. They were sickening; some of them stretching the thin, leather-looking wings behind them with creaking joints while their muscles and bodies twisted in that strange parody of movement. Disgusting. Hallow paid no attention to them.

"I'm here now. And that means I'm keeping my end of the bargain. Did you keep yours?" her words were harsh, and the woman tilted her head at her,

"You are hardly in a position to be worrying about that. Your land is still standing, is it not? Now come, enough time wasting. Your power." A hand with talon-like fingers stretched towards Hallow, motioning to the ring between the two. The young girl took a deep breath and released it slowly, glaring at the ring of Fae toadstools.

"For the record, we both know there are easier ways to do this." The woman mouth simply stretched in a grin as sharp as her teeth. Hallow closed her eyes.

She stepped inside.

The effect was almost instantaneous. With a hissing noise (laughter, maybe?) from the creatures surrounding her, thick, thorny branches tore the ground inside the circle to pieces, twisting around her skin, piercing her flesh and dragging out her blood. All the while the woman only watched as Hallow shrieked. Shrieked, but never writhed. As though her body had become used to the treatment. As though it knew not to move, lest the thick thorns cut deeper through her flesh.

They tore at her arms and wrists, cut through her legs and torso, curling tightly and ripping at her neck and shoulders, her pretty clothes were torn to shreds. Blood pooled at her feet and trickled like rivers over her arms to drip from her fingertips. The thick thorns seemed to be trying to burrow below her skin, tearing gashes in the snowy flesh that just became a path for more blood. She could feels them, ripping nerves, slicing veins, barely missing anything that was vital. Still the screaming didn't stop.

After what seemed like much too long, much, much too long to be healthy, the thorns retracted. Hallow fell to the ground, panting painfully hard and gripping the bloody ground beneath her in tight fists. After a moment, as the bloody puncture wounds and messy gashes began to slowly clot and heal, she looked up.

"Y…your payment. As agreed." The woman simply watched her a little longer, watching more blood hit the ground with an almost crazed look in her eyes. Eventually, she nodded. Two of the inhuman creatures shot forward into the circle, grabbing at her in a strangely gentle manner that didn't stop her wincing. The woman waved them off, her eyes focused almost hungrily on the blood left on the ground,

"Take her back to her castle." As the two sprites raised her into the air, the woman's human mask seemed to fall away. The ever-changing features gave way to stretched, bony, hollow features, sharp teeth and sunken eyes, arms becoming long claws as whatever this banshee-like creature was staked forward. The flowers in her hair and crown turned rotten, and she fell upon the ground covered in Hallow's blood with the fervour of a starved person offered a feast.

Jack gagged at the sight. Hallow froze. Not at the creature though. Instead her head turned to stare directly at the spot Jack's scrying mirror was looking from. The last thing Jack saw as the image faded, were harsh yellow eyes and bloody flesh.

Jack pulled away from the ice and gasped, running for the castle. He needed to make sure she was okay, he needed…

He needed to know what the hell he'd just witnessed.

She'd said it was an agreement. Why would she make an agreement that put her through something like that? What was the agreement for? What was she putting herself through here? She'd said she was late…did she suffer this every year? More than anything though, Jack felt anger. Anger at the other guardians who had as good as abandoned her here, where it was now obvious, with additional evidence, that she was suffering. Anger that they wouldn't even try and come and just SEE! She was a kid like any other.

He was back at her castle before he realised, running up the hill as the leather-winged creatures flew away from the high tower. The spirits leapt out of his way as he ran, just running through them if they weren't fast enough, until he was outside the heavy oak door, pushing it open and scanning the room.

Hallow's bloody form lay on her bed, eyes closed and breathing shallow. Sally sat next to her, holding her wrist gently and running over each wound with a cloth smelling strongly of what Jack identified as antiseptic. She placed a finger to her lips in a shushing motion before returning to swiping away the slowly congealing blood from her arms. The young child looked even paler now, nothing moving but the subtle rise and fall of her chest with each shallow breath. As Sally moved to clean the blood from her legs, she spoke softly,

"She'll be fine after she sleeps…this happens every year" Jack could tell his expression was grim,

"What exactly is 'this'?" Sally's eyes turned sad, moving Hallow's shirt up to reach a thick gash on the soft flesh of her stomach, taking up a needle and thread to sew it shut,

"I…I don't know for certain. It's an agreement she holds with the Fae, and it's what keeps this world running. I'm afraid that's all I know. She never speaks to us about it." Jack almost gagged as he watched the flesh being pulled back together with Sally's nimble fingers. The stench of blood lay thick in the air by now. If this happened every year, it was a wonder he hadn't smelled it when he first arrived.

Every year…for five hundred years…Jack looked away from her, "How does she survive it?" Sally tied off the wound before moving to the other side of the bed and beginning to wash down from her shoulders,

"She's more likely to tell you than us." Jack was fairly certain he jerked at that,

"What?" Sally looked up from cleaning Hallow's palm,

"You haven't noticed? She has the power to throw you out of here without batting an eyelid. She's played with you, she's talked to you…she likes you enough to let you stay here. Don't you see?" A smile stretched the sewn mouth, "remember when you arrived? I said I'd wondered when you'd be here. I have…visions, Jack. I saw you would be coming, which means you're either going to be something good to Hallow or something terrible. And in truth, I can't see anything more terrible than the existence she has here."

"This place is amazing though. So many people, I don't get it, how is living here terrible?" Jack's arms motioned to the room around them, before looking at Hallow's limp form again. Sally gave a soft sigh,

"She is surrounded by the dead here, Jack. Family members, friends from her own time, friends she might have made through the years…all of them come here eventually. And she hates it, because she cannot save any of them. For many, she cannot even let them out of the spirit world. The friendships she once had crumble and break around her when they die and see that she has been around them the whole time. She has to watch them grow old. Watch them be murdered. Watch them take their own life. Would you like to live forever, surrounded by the dead? Dead that can never leave you?"

Jack…Jack hadn't thought of it that way. Sally was right. Everyone here was dead. Hallow's brother hadn't seemed bothered about it, but his secretiveness towards the other sibling…and her parents or friends…what about that little girl she'd died saving? Was she here too? Did she live surrounded by all these people?

Jack thought about his sister. Was she here? Did Hallow watch her die? Could Jack do that? Watch Jamie and the others leave him, only to never have them really gone. To never be able to do anything for them…never give them their families back, never give them their LIVES back…

He couldn't do it. He didn't see how Hallow did it. Looking at the cut-up corpse on the blooded sheets, he though about just how remarkable she really was. If Sally believed he could help her, he was going to do it. He was going to give it everything he had. She deserved at least that much.


	12. To Meet and Be Met

Sally said it would take Hallow another day to wake up. In the meantime, Jack went exploring. He'd missed a lot of her world when he'd been chasing her. There was a lot he wanted to see. Sally offered to act as his guide, but he declined. He had someone else in mind.

"Hey! Áedán!" he called out, spotting the ghost hovering close to the bottom of Hallow's stairway. The boy turned at the call of his name, silvery wisps turning with him. He grinned at Jack and raised a hand in greeting as Jack ran to catch up with him, "Hallow's sleeping and since I can't really get home, I wondered if you'd mind showing me around this place a little more?" the pale face lit up with a grin at the request,

"Sure! There are so many people you could meet. We'll start with the pumpkin fields, you can meet Jill!" Áedán begun to move down the corridor, walking with his feet level with the stone. Were it not for the wall Jack could see through his face, he'd almost think him human.

"Who's Jill?"

"She helps Mister Jack Skellington with growing and maintaining the pumpkin fields while Hallow sleeps. Cute little thing, you'll like her. Oh, don't go thinking they do all the work though, Hallow helps too - and she distributed the pumpkins, checks each one individually while they're growing…Jack and Jill water them and plant them, but she's the one who handles most of caring for them and making them perfect. Jill's really sweet though, always flitting through the fields…" Áedán had a stupid grin on his face as he spoke. They passed through the large main doors again and once more Jack was overwhelmed with the expanse and beauty of the darkness in front of him. For a moment, he just took it all in, before Áedán was calling for him from halfway down the hill.

The boy was still talking.

"-Now don't get me wrong, I like pixie wings as much as the next, but butterfly wings are just so much prettier when you can SEE the colours and tell where they are. Jill wings are definitely the prettiest though. They've got these bright shades of blue in them, and it all fades to silver at the edges with this black lining that just draws attention to the lovely curves and spiralling detail at the top and bottom-" Jack halted for a moment,

"Woah, woah, hold on a sec. What is Jill?" Áedán blinked at him, then chuckled,

"She's a spritekin. An Earthen spritekin." Jack didn't even need to ask before Áedán continued talking, "You get varying spritekins here, for Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Light, Dark, Thunder, Energy, Spirit…each one has a different power and sometimes they help out. Jill started helping a century, three decades, seven months and four days ago. It was so cute when she showed up, she'd been helping the pumpkins grown when Hallow found her, and the look on the sprite's face – You'd have thought she'd been destroying them! But Hallow was happy for the help; she only really got this place running smoothly about five decades ago thanks to everyone who volunteered to help out. Halloween doesn't make itself you know…well…I suppose technically Halloween is caused by the weakening of the gateway between worlds but that's beside the point, the FESTIVAL side of it doesn't make itself." Jack was quickly learning that Áedán was one of those people who could talk a hundred miles a minute without a breath. It was similair to holding a conversation with Tooth. But something he said did pique his curiosity,

"Are you and Jill…" he gave the spirit a grin that Áedán returned with a look of embarrassment,

"N-no it's not like that! Really, it isn't. I mean, she's cute and sweet but…well she's completely ignorant of anything outside the pumpkin patches…she doesn't know about me at all…she can't know about me at all…" the ghost shrugged as the two continued down the path, veering left onto a narrow side track, "I don't mind too much. Hallow's more likely to find out I'm here if Jill knew-"

"Yeah, that's the other thing, your sister? Completely impossible to understand! I saw her today go out and get herself cut to ribbons by this…I don't even know what it was…" Jack gagged a little as he recalled the thick stench of blood he'd smelled clinging to the girl's skin. How she'd been able to stand it… Áedán was giving him a mirror of Sally's sad smile.

"What?"

"If I tell you a secret, will you keep it?"

"Uuuh…sure"

"When you showed up, we all felt it. The disturbance of someone who was not a part of this world. If you'll excuse the irony, it was like a chill in the air. Then when I found you, when I saw who you were, I crossed my fingers and hoped and prayed that you'll be the one to help Hallow get back on the Guardian's good sides. She needs strength without sacrifice, and someone not dead or though up in a child's imagination to talk to." Áedán gave a small smile, "You've probably already heard this from Sally, and I'm sorry if I'm just repeating things, however there's so much to her. So much that she does, that she gives up for us and for this land. Sally keeps her as healthy and sane as she can - but she can't be near Hallow all the time, even I can't, but I see more than she does. You want to know what happened with her and Pitch? I can tell you…better yet I can show you, but promise me you're not here to hurt her? She's felt and still feeling enough hurt. Moreso than she'll show-" Jack held up a hand, cutting him off.

"Everyone's telling me to help her. That she needs helping. And really? I get it, I do!" Áedán looked surprised, having stopped moving to look at him. Jack gave him a grin. "Look, I saw her smile when she told me to chase her. No one can really kill off the joy in their hearts. I know there's still happiness in there, and I'm gonna bring it out in her. no matter how deep she's buried it, I wanna help her find her center. Hallowe'en's supposed to be a fun holiday, how's it going to be fun if the one in charge of it is miserable?"

The spirit was silent for a few moments, eyes blinking in surprise. Jack frowned, wondering if he'd said something, before Áedán laughed. A thick, rich sound that Jack, as a guardian of fun, could appreciate. After a moment to compose himself again, the ghost turned to Jack with a smile, "Thank you, Jack Frost. I think you'll do fine. Now, let's go see Jill!"

Jill turned out not to be the cute sort of spritekin Jack had expected. When he saw her, he wondered to himself just where exactly evolution has decided to spew Tooth's fairies from. Because so far, none of them seemed to exist here.

Jill was small, of course, but still bigger than Jack had expected, almost reaching his hip, her head about level with the top of his thigh. Her hair was tousled, a deep black-indigo shade knotted with violet flowers. Dark skin clothed in what looked like sewn leaves and flowers tied with vines, her back twitching with the two large blue and silver wings Áedán had been mooning over earlier (Jack didn't care what he said, he had it bad for the girl). Wide violet eyes rose to meet Jack's as he entered the dirt field Áedán had pointed him to before flitting into the air above them and disappearing with a whimper as soon as she looked in their direction. The spritekin frowned at him, staring at the ground where he stands for a moment, before speaking,

"I will give you warning now, Bringer of Frost. Should your ice abilities return and cause the ground of these pumpkin fields to freeze, I promise it will not be simply forgiven without bloodshed." A light smile followed the violent threat. Despite the threat, Jack could tell this was someone he could get along with. There was an aura, a presence to her that made it seem like she knew so much more than she would let on. He laughed at the threat before motioning to his staff,

"For some reason, they just don't work all that well here. I can do some things, but I'm sorta limited." Jill gave him another smile, turning back to the dark earth, making small dips in the earth with her fingers and taking out seeds from the small pouch attached to her vine belt. She held the seed in a tight fist for a moment, a small green light radiating out from the curled fingers before placing the seed in the pit, smoothing the earth over the top.

"Mistress Eve designed this world to limit or nullify abilities of those who were not a part of it, to stop incidents occurring from outsiders getting in…I must admit, I am surprised you were able to get here." That explained a lot. Jack leaned on his staff as he watched the creature,

"So…you're like the palace gardener?" that earned him a glare.

"I am more than a common 'gardener' Jack Frost. I am Mistress Eve's most prized worker and one of the few who holds the honour of calling her a close friend."

"Why do you call her 'Mistress'? Isn't that a little too formal?"

"She is my master, in that I work for her. However she finds the term distasteful. 'Mistress' was our compromise although I am not allowed to address her as such in person." Whether it was because of her focus on her work or just the way she was, all her answers seemed rehearsed and she didn't seem interested in Jack at all. Strangely, despite annoying him, he saw the same care she was putting into the pumpkin seeds as he saw North put into his toys. Leaning a little more on his staff, he smiled at the comparison.

"What kind of a name is 'Jill' for a fairy anyway?" She looked up at him, wings fluttering slightly a she moved to the next point to bury a seed,

"Spritekin. And my name is not 'Jill'. My name, my true name, is written and spoken in kinscript – unpronounceable to 'normal' people – but when written…I suppose Mistress Eve thought it to appear in likeness to the name 'Jill', so it stayed as 'Jill' by her call. besides" She gave him a grin, showing sharp white teeth, "what sort of a name is 'Jack' for a guardian?" and Jack couldn't answer. He did return the grin with one of his own though

"I did not think we would meet this early either. You have no business in the pumpkin fields; the Frost Giant's or Ice Drake's territory seems more fitting for you to have visited before here." Now those eyes seemed curious, head tilting to the side as she observed him from the patch of dirt she hovered over. Before Jack would answer, her expression became soft. Bringing herself up level with his eyes, she took his hand and placed something in it,

"Perhaps it is nothing, but you may find this useful. Mistress Eve will understand what it is. I recommend growing it first. they like cold soil." With a smile and a nod, she turned away. Uncurling his hand, he looked at the tiny seed in his palm, the size of a poppy seed, deep blue in colour streaked with bolts of white. Like him. Something about it tugged a slight half smile to his lips and he slid it into his pocket. Áedán joined him as soon as he was out of Jill's sight, rabbitting on about something or other again, and Jack found himself enjoying the mostly one-sided conversation.

It was only when he was halfway back to Hallow's castle he realised he'd never told Jill his name either. It hadn't even been three days...

Did everyone know him here?


	13. Lest We Forget

Hallow didn't dream when she slept.

She had thoughts, things half formed and incomplete in a pit of darkness. But they were not dreams. She hadn't dreamed in centuries. The Sandman couldn't reach her, and her own mind preferred to drown her in memories. So sleeping was more like death with a less permanent state of being. She lay calm and still on the bed. Unmoving save for the soft rise and fall of her breathing. The sheets moves with soft rustling noises around her, like the movement of the ocean waves on the sand. Orange hair fanned out around her face, some still flecked red with her blood. Cuts half healed across her body - her wrists, her chest, her legs, her throat. No longer bleeding sluggishly but still not quite healed over. And beneath it all was the scars on her old heart, nestled inside a child's chest

Hallow did not dream when she slept.

That did not mean she didn't remember.

No one sees her. She walks back through her village, trying to cat people's attention. She is met with only blank faces. Eyes that look straight through her. No ones sees her because she is not alive. The corpses they bury have no belief in them. They had their lives, and the dead have no place amongst the living, so they are not seen by them. They do not expect to see her. So they do not. She screams at people as she passes. Begging for a response, a reply. Anything to stop the crushing emptiness threatening to consume her. The children she once played with pass her by, still content to continue their routines without her. The fields she once helped tend are full of new hands now. She had her time, now it is over.

But where does she go? Tears begin to fall as she looks around. She has nowhere now. Wrapped up only in the ragged Fae clothes she had designed for the festival, she falls to her knees and sobs. She knows the spirit world, and with it the afterlife, exists. But she knows not how to reach it. Or what would be waiting when she did.

Only when the dim dawnlight is cast into shadow over her does she look up. A man stands in front of her, dressed in darkness, his hair in spikes. He watches her, and in turn she watches him. For a moment, there is stillness between the two, before the man – creature? She is not sure what to call him. – kneels, resting a hand on her cheek and brushing away her tears.

"Good morning, Hallow Eve." She does not move when he calls her by name. This man she has not met. Somehow, it does not surprise her. Although she knows it should, no one is turning to this man either. No one sees the two of them, plain as the morning light. He is like her, and that calms her. Despite the worry that she knows should be present, there is only relief. Someone can see her. She is not alone. Surely, if there is one more will follow. Accepting the hand to help her up, she gives a small smile,

This was going to be alright.

It was with a broken sob that her eyes opened again, yellow irises overflowing with tears. They sting when they drip into the first cuts on her neck, but she makes no move to brush them away. She had been a blind child. She had been so worried about being forgotten, about being alone, that she had latched onto the first thing that offered her any hope of company. And it had simply driven her further away from the world she had tried to desperately to stay a part of.

Slowly sitting up, she looked at the bandages covering the worst of the cuts, wincing when the stitches in her abdomen protested her sitting up. Lady Mab had taken more than usual again. If she did that a third time, something would have to be done. Picking up the glass of purple liquid Hallow knew would have been left for her by Sally, she downed the glass in a few long gulps, setting it down again after. It was not the first time she had relived that memory. It seemed to be a popular one, reminding her of her biggest mistake. Looking out of the window at the huge expanse of land, she though about how much power this place took. It would not be able to run like this forever. Even with Lady Mab running it for six months a year while she recuperated, it would eventually collapse in on itself. And if she did not watch her power more carefully, she knew it would be sooner than later.

"Only inevitable" she sighed. She knew she was weak. She knew she needed belief to keep this place running, belief to give her the power she needed. Sometimes it shocked her she could still stand most days. Flopping back onto the pillows, she mumbled to her self again, "over one thousand years…and not a single child ever realised I was there…" she gave another broken sob, burying her head into the black sheets until she could control herself again. There was only so long a person could keep something this big up.

Unwillingly, she began to wonder how Jack had done it. Stayed strong all the time he was ignored. If it hurt her, it must have hurt him too. But she knew of what had transpired between the guardians and Pitch. Even whilst she was asleep, some of her creatures walked the Earth and brought her back stories. Jack had not given in to Pitch. Despite promises she knew first hand he could fulfil. The girl closed her eyes again, resting there, arms heavy and pale from the lack of blood, wounds still healing into what would be silvery scars for a few weeks before fading away to pale skin. Jack was different to the other guardians. Despite how she had snapped when he arrived, despite how she had accused him of prejudice and wanting to poke fun at the one who made such mistakes, he hadn't done anything but try to find out more about her. A small part of her, buried past the hurt and the hate and the betrayal, wanted to trust him. Wanted to let someone in again. Wanted friendship that she had so dearly missed.

The stronger part, that reminded her of her mistakes, the part that existed in the tattoo over her heart, the key resting around her neck, etched into the scars on her body, that lay around her shoulders like a shroud and followed her every day, told her not to. It warned her of the dangers of trusting someone. Of letting someone into your life when you knew next to nothing of them. That part of her remembered every day what she had done and what had been done. For if Jack knew the full extent of the damage and destruction she had caused, there would be nothing in all the Earth or After-earth that would make him continue to talk to her.

\----

Jill looked up to the castle as she felt her mistress awaken. As she continued planting each pumpkin seed, row by neat little row into the soil, she allowed herself to think back on Jack Frost. The Prince of Winter. Guardian of Fun. Mistress Eve held no personal vendetta against him, but there would be nothing stopping her from destroying him if he did something wrong here. She smiled,

"Jack Frost treads a thin line here, does he not, Miss Sally?" turning to the ragdoll, she gave a soft smile. It was returned in kind with a thin stretching of the stitched mouth,

"You could at least pretend you don't know when someone is nearby, Jill."

"Where would the fun be in that? Now my dear, I find it unlikely you came here to talk to me about that" Looking up at her sack cloth face, Sally looked away from the intense violet eyes. The two were not friends, by any means. But they shared a close understanding of what Hallow needed even when she didn't. It brought them closer as individuals.

"I suppose I'm just worried for her. There is so much going on, and this is going to be our biggest Hallowe'en yet. She doesn't have the strength to continue as she is, and I can't help but feel like there's something in the wind-"

"You feel it too?" Jill cut in. Sally nodded, looking down at the Spritekin, "You're right. Something is foul in the forests and the Mountains. It feels like it is waiting for something, my kin speak of the phoenix birds fleeing to higher ground and the gargoyles seeming afraid. I fear for her myself, Miss Sally. The things behind that gate will crush her in the state she has driven herself to over the last few years. She is not like the other guardians nor does she need to be. But she is not strong enough to stand alone.

Sally sighed sadly, looking up to where she knew Hallow's room to be. "She'll have Jack, won't she?"

"She will have us all if we are willing to stand with her. I simply hope it does not come to that."

"Time is running out for us all if it does though. What do we do if she can't fight this, if we can't fight with her?"

Jill's wings flicked and settled. She knew the answer, though she did not like it. Whatever was coming would come, and if they could not fight with her…

"We fight for her."


	14. Listen!

"You're not honestly telling me you were believed in by accident!" Áedán stared at him, the two waiting outside Hallow's door for any news on whether or not she was awake yet. Jack had been sharing his story with the spirit, about how he became a guardian and took down Pitch. It was almost creepy how amazed the boy seemed.

"Well, sort of, yeah. I mean, I didn't ask Jamie to believe in me. At the time, I was just trying to get him to believe in the Easter Bunny again." At the mention of Bunny, something in the ghost's eyes seemed to light up,

"Hey, did he tell you what happened between then? It was a complete misunderstanding, of course, but last I heard he was still quiet upset about it." Jack paused for a moment before his expression turned to recognition,

"You mean the pumpkin problem? Oh yeah, cotton tail's still mad about that…wait a sec, misunderstanding? How do you misunderstand a warren full of rotten pumpkins?" Jack asked, confused. Áedán grinned for a moment, then begun replying,

"When Mr Bunnymund tried to bring her an Easter egg, he came from the South side. And a very, very large part of that area is werewolf territory. Just so happens his arrival, unfortunately, coincided with the Full Moon Hunt, a werewolf monthly ritual where the wolves go running as one huge pack, hunting with their baser instincts from the wolf mentality instead of the human one – giving the wolf reign of the forest once a month stops them rampaging through the rest of the land, Hallow says. When she found out what happened she wanted to apologise. But she's still only a child. She though that since he had tried to give her an egg, a symbol of his holiday, she'd try to do the same. But the pumpkins she created were born from straight out magic, not from care and growth, when that magic, the magic of fall and autumn, combined with the magic of the warren, all of them began to rot. She didn't realise this until later, that trying to just magic pumpkins out of thin air will cause them to rot twice as fast, throw that in with the warren and... She only does it now when she really has to…like when a sudden frost kills them all off." Áedán looked at Jack with a smirk. The winter spirit chuckled nervously, looking towards her bedroom door,

"So, she was trying to apologise to him? Boy is he gonna get a kick outta that! Being mad all this time because of those rotten pumpkins. Why didn't Hallow tell him sooner?" he turned to look for Áedán, looking around confused as he seems to have disappeared, not hearing the door open,

"Because I know he can hold a grudge and I knew he'd be too angry with me to listen." Jack started as he heard the sleep-coated voice, twisting around as he stood up and almost stumbling on the spiral stairs. Well, that explained why Áedán disappeared. Looking Hallow over, he took note of the multitude of bandages. Around her shoulders, torso, wrists and ankles. He was willing to bet there were more under her sleep shorts and vest too. It made him sick to think about, remembering all that scarlet blood across the ground, those thorns tearing muscle, piercing flesh…he shuddered to remember it,

"Who were you talking to?" she asked, looking around curiously. She still seemed tired, half asleep and lax in her posture. Vulnerable. Maybe she'd be easier to talk to. Jack rose to his feet in front of her,

"Nobody really, just a couple of spirits flying around, thought I could find out how you were doing in there since the last time I stepped in your room without permission you decided to play trick and tag" Jack can see the moment she truly wakes up, her eyes becoming sharper, harsher, and he braces himself for what he knows is about to come, even after knowing her for such a short time.

I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you'd have gone back to the rest of your fellow guardians by now. Having seen the 'horrors' of my ream. Does it repulse you, seeing blood exchange happening? Hm? Why are you still here, Jack, when there's nothing I could possibly give you, and nothing you could possibly have from me? I have enough to deal with without worrying about whether or not you're going to be a problem when this world is already-" she was cut off by Jack leaning forward and physically slapping his hands over her mouth,

"Enough! That's enough already! Stop trying so hard to push me away! I don't hate you, Hallow. Okay? I don't blame you, I don't hate you, and I definitely don't want to cause you any trouble. I don't even know what happened to make the others hate you! Now you're gonna listen to me this time. I've just watched you get cut to pieces, and I know you know I was watching, but this is what's going to happen. We're gonna to start again, you're gonna stop trying to push me away, and I'm gonna try and stop you from falling on your face every time you take a step, really pumpkin head, you're swaying pretty badly there" Taking his hand away from her mouth, she continued to stand there, staring at him, mouth still open a little in shock. She looked paler than Jack against the dull stonework, one hand clutching the door-frame with a white-knuckle grip.

For a minute, everything was silent, Hallow's yellow eyes staring at Jack as though she couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. Though to be fair, Jack thought, she probably couldn't. Giving her his least mischievous smile, trying to keep it as honest and friendly as he could, he held out a hand to her,

"So? Whaddaya say?" A small hand fit into his and shook it firmly as he grinned, "Hi, my name's Jack Frost. I'm the bringer of winter and also interested in helping a short pumpkin head get back on her feet again." And Jack felt himself relax when he saw her smile.

\----

The two of them sat in the main room after Hallow was finally able to get downstairs, Sally handing her a mug of dark brown liquid swirling with gold and a couple of cookies,

"What's that?" Jack asked, leaning over to stare at the cup, Hallow moving it away to take a sip,

"It's hot cocoa and honey, Sally always makes it for me after I meet with the Fae. It's the best thing for getting my energy back up…well, that and cobweb cookies." She giggles softly, holding up one of the cookies for Jack to look at. Iced to look like a black spider, each individual leg covered in something sot and whispy white. She took a bite and smiled at Sally, "spun sugar and chocolate chip…perfect like every year, thank you Sally" she was surprisingly soft spoken when she was calm like this, Jack noted. Her voice was not harsh or sharp as it had been with him; no, instead she was relaxed and civil. Secretly, Jack wondered what she was like when she was really in her element and enjoying herself

With her legs curled up next to her, she looked even smaller than when she was standing up. Clearing his throat, Jack rested his staff against the table and turned to Hallow.

"So, first thing's first, wanna tell me what's up with the creepy crone that gets you turned into fresh meat?" Hallow flinched a little at the question, and Jack saw the moment her shields were thrown back up (the damn girl was like a yoyo with how quickly she switched moods), focusing her gaze on her drink instead. The frost guardian prepared himself for another snap about minding his own business. It was a surprised when she just sighed,

"Look I know I agreed I'd stop pushing you away and I will try but what you're asking… I don't know if I'm ready to talk about that. I mean, the only ones who even know what really goes on and the reasons why are Sally and Jack – Skellington, I mean – and a few sparse others. And though you've proven you're not going to leave in a hurry, I've shouted at you and implied it enough and you're still here. But…" she stopped when Jack's staff came to rest on her shoulder lightly, turning her gaze to him. Blue eyes smiled at her in the low torchlight,

"You didn't shout at me then for asking. That's progress. And that's good enough for now. And I'm not leaving because I don't think you're really want me to, do you? I know you're stronger than you let anyone see. If you really wanted me gone, I'd be gone." Hallow's mouth twitched up into another of those small smiles, Jack was half beginning to wonder if she was afraid of smiling honestly, and turned her head down again. With a glance to Sally, Jack caught her grateful nod as the ragdoll left them be.

For now, her surrogate daughter was calm, and had someone different there for her.

She only hoped Jill and her premonitions were wrong.


	15. The Ice Lands

"Sally?"

The ragdoll turned to face Hallow just as the young girl was finishing her drink, "did anyone need me while I was sleeping? And don't lie to me, someone always needs me." Jack chuckled from his seat next to her, looking up at Sally's sheepish smile as she took Hallow's cup from her,

"The ice drakes and the Snow Elves have been having a territory dispute for three months..."

"Again?" Jack looked from one to the other in confusion,

"Wait, ice drakes?" Hallow turned to Jack,

"Drakes. Dragons…it's around about the time for them to begin nesting, so they look for the widest territory they can. Unfortunately, there's only so much space in the icy mountains, and the frozen forests and tundra that surround it were given to the elves when I first created this world. So the Elves are complaining that the Dragons are taking over their territory." She explained quickly.

"Well that makes sense." Jack rolled his eyes, resting his jaw on the heel of his hand and watching the conversation. Hallow had not only created this world, she's designed it specifically so everything could have a place. Every time he thought that Hallow couldn't impress him further, she managed it.

"It seems the only option is to expand the lands again…" Hallow murmured with a sigh. Sally's eyes widened in…was that fear?

"Hallow, wait, maybe they'll agree to find other grounds, at least for this season?"

"The Elves and Dragons are too stubborn and prideful. By this point either side will refuse to back down. It will either be war or expand the lands again." Jack piped up,

"What do you mean 'again'? How long have they been arguing over this?" Hallow scoffed softly under her breath,

"Long enough. I should go and see what can be done. You can stay here or explore as you wis-" Jack stood up, crossing his arms in front of his chest and staring down at Hallow,

"I'm going with you." Hallow's mouth turned into a frown, but Jack held up a hand, "don't try telling me I'm not or I can't. I'm going with you. Ice and snow is my area after all." He reminded her. Hallow gave a sigh, but the soft smile had returned, so Jack assumed it was just mocking.

"Alright, fine. But we're travelling MY way. Sally, I'll be home before the wolves' howl." Hallow said, standing up and motioning for Jack to follow.

"Good Luck! Both of you…" Sally whispered, clasping her hands over her heart. Only a few moments later did a white skull look around the door,

"Sally, dear? Is something the matter?" Jack (S) asked, reaching out a hand to rest on Sally's shoulder. The ragdoll raised her head,

"I'm worried for Hallow. This world is destroying her, Jack. And the world beyond the gate will split her in two. What if we're already too late to help her? What…what if They come back?" Jack placed a consoling hand on her cheek, raising the ragdoll's face to meet his own,

"Sally, Sally, Sally. Hallow has run this place for centuries! And she will always have us if she asks. You must stop worrying so, it will only wear you out as well." He told her. Sally looked away, towards the crackling fire of the torches. She couldn't help but feel that there was something so very, very wrong that was going to happen.

Jack kept his hands in his pockets as he followed Hallowthrough the castle. The two walked in silence although there were a lot of questions Jack wanted answered. Eventually, the pressure became too much for him,

"So…what exactly is involved with 'expanding the lands'?" He asked. He saw Hallow's shoulder twitch but she didn't turn to face him, continuing to walk directly forward. Around them, the torches in the stone corridor flickered, making Hallow's already orange hair seem even brighter.

"Remember what we JUST spoke about? With opening up to each other a little more?" Jack added. Hallow sighed, one of her hands reaching up to push her stray hairs back,

"It's exactly what it sounds like. I can't describe how it's done…it'll be easier if you see it." Hallow replied. She pushed hard against the heavy oak door that made up the entrance to her castle, stepping out into the darkness until the pale moonlight illuminated her again. "The wind will not work for you here, you'll need to ride me with."

"Ride? Ride what?" Jack asked, looking around. He hadn't seen anything earlier. "Wait, you said your favourite animal was a dragon, are we going to ride a dragon?!" Hallow looked at him in surprise, before her mouth turned up in a smile. She giggled, then full on laughed, her body bent over as she held her ribs. "What'd I do?" Jack asked, flailing his arms slightly in embarrassment as the Halloween Spirit laughed in his face. Of all the things to make her laugh, and Jack didn't even know what he'd said!

"Ow, ow, phew…" Hallow said, her laugh trailing off into faint giggled as she raised her head straight again, rubbing at her ribs, "No, we're not riding a dragon. They'd never let us both ride one. And you've never gained a dragon's trust. No, we're taking my favourite, prized steed." Hallow fished for something in her shirt while Jack stared on in confusion. He didn't remember seeing a stables or anything earlier, so what exactly was her 'steed?'

"Don't worry, he's nothing dangerous, I just like to keep things traditional." Hallow said, drawing out a thin, golden chain with a small whistle on the end of it. One of those long ones, 'penny whistles' or something like that. "But you might want to step back a little." She added, raising the tiny copper whistle on the golden chain and blowing hard through it.

It was silent.

Jack looked around for a moment after waiting, expecting something magical or huge to appear in a burst of sparks or something. "So, what're we waiting fo-"he was cut off by the sound of pounding hooves, and the deep, rumbling bass of Thunder through the sky. Jack turned, looking at Hallow's grin as she looked out towards the huge black cloud moving towards them at an alarming rate. Jack staggered backwards just before the cloud circled around, taking on a corporeal form.

A huge, towering black stallion, its mane crackling with lightning. It reared on its hind legs with a whinny that sounded like thunder. Its smoky dark fur held tiny, scattered streaks of white in jagged lines. The eyes were a bold, glowing blue in their face, the muzzle shot with lightning white lines. Its hooves pounded through the air, crackling with electricity. It reared back as it came closer, trotting a circle around Hallow just once as it came to stand on the ground beside them both. Hallow stood at least four inches below the great Stallion's shoulder, and yet it still craned its neck downwards to nuzzle at her throat. Jack could only stare, lost in his shock.

"That…that is…"

Hallow turned to face him with a self-satisfied smirk to her face, "THAT, would be Morpheus, he's a Stormbringer." She told him, twisting to nuzzle her face against the soft black muzzle. "He's my best friend, and my favourite steed." The horse whinnied softly, stamping against the floor in, what Jack assumed, was pride. Jack was still lost.

"A Stormbringer."

"Yes."

"As in…brings Storms." Hallow laughed lightly at his confusion, reaching for him and taking ahold of his wrist.

Somewhere, Jack noticed that her tiny hands could barely encircle his wrists, but that grip didn't half bruise.

"Yes, they are the heralds of storms, and he's not going to hurt you!" the little spirit tugged him forward, Jack dragging his feet as she did so – what? It was a big horse and he has no way to fly out of range. Not that it seemed it would matter with these things. "Here…" Hallow's gentle tone caught his attention. She dragged his hand up until it was in line with Morpheus' nose. "He won't hurt you."

The guardian could only chuckle nervously. It was a very, Very big horse after all. But if Hallow said he was safe… closing one eye and leaning back slightly, ready to run in case it did decide to attack, he bridged the gap between him and the horse. Cold fingertips met soft fur, almost crackling with energy. Hot breath snorted at him and Jack turned to face the huge steed. He truly was a beautiful creature, no wonder Hallow loved him so much. He felt a grin spread across his face when Morpheus turned his nose into Jack's palm, nuzzling him as he had done to Hallow earlier. Speaking of which…

Hallow grinned at him softly from where her face was tucked into Morpheus' neck, standing up on tip-toes to wrap her arms around his neck. She looked so young, so harmless. Jack found himself grinning back without realising he was doing so. Morpheus snorted again, moving his head back and shaking his head, lightning crackling in his mane and breaking the moment of peace between the two. Hallow turned away, stepping back,

"We should get going, the elves don't appreciate lateness."

"Yeah but - aren't you a little short to ride him?" Jack couldn't help but ask. There was no conceivable way that Hallow could get up onto Morpheus' back from where she was standing. But the fiery child just rolled her eyes at him,

"I've been doing this since you were still chasing your first snowflake, Winter Prince. Do not underestimate me." Hallow reached for her neck again, taking off the golden chain with the whistle on it.

"Underestimate you? Never!" He teased. Hallow didn't respond, just made a noise that sounded a little like a disgruntled cat.

"Then you can just watch me"

She ran her fingers along it until she seemed to find something she was looking for. With a small click, the chain separated in her hands. Morpheus bowed his head, and Jack was left to watch as Hallow wound the chain through his mouth and over his muzzle and - was the chain that long when she was wearing it? It couldn't have been – eventually leaving some of it slack while the rest shimmered and glinted in a bridle. There was another click as the chain reconnected, and Hallow gave him a smirk over her shoulder as she bent her knees, grabbing the slack of the chain that formed the reigns in one hand and stepping back just slightly. With a quick hop, step and jump, almost too fast for Jack to catch, she was seated upon his back, smirking down at Jack.

"Planning on catching flies with that gaping mouth, frostbite?" Jack promptly shut his mouth.

"Okay. You made your point. Now…mind helping me up too? I can't exactly do that whole 'jump onto a horse from the floor' thing without the wind here." Hallow laughed again, and Jack was beginning to really like that sound. Halloween was supposed to be about laughter and enjoying yourself after all.

"Here" she said, reaching a hand down. It surprised Jack, who had expected another trick, or her leaving him behind. Was she really offering to actually help him and inviting her to ride with him as well? The hesitation made Hallow wave the hand in front of his face a little, "helloooo? Earth to Jack? I will leave without you, you know."

Jack shook himself out of the surprise, and grinned, "Sorry, yeah, I'm coming."

He reached up. Took her hand. Hoisted himself onto the horseback, was left floundering for a moment as he wondered where to hold on until Hallow took his hands and forced them into Morpheus' thick mane, "unless you want to fall off, I'd hold on tight. Oh, and brace yourself - Stormbringers are a wild ride."

With a flick of the golden chain, Morpheus whinnied, and they were off.


	16. The Ice Lands (pt. 2)

It was with a gasp and a thud that Jack slid off of the stallion's back, stumbling to his knees in a field of snow and shaking a little. Behind him, Hallow laughed out loud at him,

"What's wrong Jack? You can ride the wind but not a horse?" with a little difficulty, Jack brought himself to his feet,

"Oh no, I can ride North's Sleigh, I can ride the winds, but THAT? THAT was not a ride! That was a fight for my life!" he exclaimed at her. Hallow giggled from on top of Morpheus' back. Even the damned HORSE looked to be laughing at him!

"I forget what it can be like the first time, I suppose having the solid object you're riding suddenly turning into an incorporeal rolling storm cloud can be a bit off-putting to some." She teased him. Gracefully, the girl swung her leg over one side of the great stallion. Sliding down off his back and dropping the good foot and a half to the floor. Straightening up, she turned and began unwinding the chain from Morpheus' nose while Jack worked on regaining the ability to stand.

"How do you manage that?! Aren't you ever scared you're gonna fall?" Hallow looped the chain back over her neck, the thin gold whistle slipping down the front of her shirt as she turned back towards the frost guardian, pulling her hair through the chain.

"Are you ever afraid the wind will drop you?" She asked. Her feet stepped lightly over the ground as she took a few steps towards him, "I've fallen before, of course, but I think what matters more is how quickly you get back up again" She said, turning back to the Stormbringer still standing to attention behind them, "thank you, Morpheus, will you wait here for us?"

Jack twisted and turned, looking around them. The ride here had been so fast and so turbulent he'd forgotten to look at the land as they flew over it. Now, he could see in the far distance the lights of the town, and the artificial moon shone its light down from the blanket of stars in the sky. The faint patches of snow around them showed how they were on the very edge of the ice lands Hallow had mentioned earlier. It glittered and shone under the cold moonlight, and for a moment, Jack had to remind himself that this world was fabricated.

Yes, he had almost forgotten. But as Hallow's footsteps carried her past him, Jack looked over and let himself marvel silently at how amazing she actually was. He couldn't help but wonder why North had thought her dangerous, or Tooth had been afraid of her. She…she had created a whole world, right from scratch, where all the people of her 'holiday' were safe.

"You coming, frostbite?" Hallow called back to him, heading for the snowy plains to their left. Jack gave a smile and began to follow.

It felt good to have the snow beneath his feet again, and Jack laughed in joy at the feel of it, kicking up a flurry with his feet and staff. A little way ahead of him, Hallow smiled to herself. He was certainly playful. Nothing like the strictness and sharp edges that the other guardians had. He was the first to listen to her, and still followed her despite everything she had told him to the contrary. Maybe…maybe he would be understanding. Maybe she could finally tell someone…no! No, it was too dangerous. 'I can't include anyone else in this. This is my responsibility, and mine alone.' She thought to herself.

"Oof!" something cold and wet hit Hallow in the back. Behind her, loud laughter rang through the air. Slowly, she turned around, narrowing her eyes at Jack, "did you just…?" with a smirk, Jack scooped up another handful of snow,

"You need to learn to lighten up, Hallow. Catch!" Hallow shrieked as the cold snow was thrown at her, ducking it only to have another one aimed at her face,

"Jack Frost, you stop that this instant!" Hallow yelled at him, taking cover behind one of the snow drifts.

"If you can hit me, I'll stop!"

"I'm supposed to be here on an important assignment, not playing around in-ah!" Hallow gave another shriek as Jack managed to hit her again, turning her head away from the cold water now dripping over her hair. "Oh that's it." She growled, scooping up the snow and throwing it as hard as she could.

"Not even close, pumpkin head!" Jack jeered at her, riling her up further. So the girl did know how to have fun after all! He ducked another snowball that came a little closer than he would have liked, but laughed and grinned as Hallow tried again and again to catch him. After a few minutes, Jack found himself out of breath from laughing. Hallow stuck her head out over the snow drift, eyes bright and curious and so very, very alive. For a moment, Jack remembered what the book had said about her, that Hallow was once someone so young and carefree. He could see it now.

Holding up his hands and staff in surrender, Jack grinned over at her, the grin only getting wider when she automatically ducked back down behind the snow bank, "Truce?" he called out. Hallow's eyes narrowed at him over the top of the snow mound, but she stood up, cheeks rosy red from exertion and laughter and eyes still so bright. She reached out, taking his hand.

There was a split second that Jack saw something shine in her eyes, before there was snow being shoved show the back of his hoodie. Despite how the cold didn't bother him, he couldn't help but yell out in shock, back tensing up and spine arching against the wet feeling. In front of him, Hallow smirked,

"Truce. Now if you're done, we have work to do."

Oh, Jack was definitely starting to see why she'd represent Halloween night.

\---

Tooth flitted about North's workshop, searching for the specific shade of red that would signal she had found the man in question. Darting between the yetis, her head whipped from side to side, searching through the workshop until,

"North!" she called, beelining for the man. North turned away from his plans and blueprints at the noise,

"Tooth? What is the matter?" He asked. Tooth sounded…worried. He could only hope it wasn't anything too serious. There was a lot to be done before Christmas this year.

"Have you seen Jack recently? He hasn't come by in over two weeks and the fairies say they can't find him anywhere!" Tooth exclaimed. That caught North's attention. The last time he'd seen Jack must have been about three weeks too, and that had been when he was…

"Tooth, did Jack talk to you about…Her?" North asked. The flash of fear and extra worry that shone in Tooth's eyes was answer enough, "and what did you tell him?"

"I-I sent him to Bunny. I thought – I thought maybe Bunny could convince Jack to give up talking about her, especially after what she did to his Warren, oh but North you don't honestly think he's gone to HER world, do you? I mean, that place is scary and what if he's been injured or sucked through the gateway or-"

"Tooth! Tooth, calm down. We will go and speak to Bunny. If Jack has indeed gone to Hallow, Bunny is the only one who can access that dark place. We will get him back, do not fear."

"I'm just scared, North. You know how scary Hallow is. And it's been so many years...I can't help but think about what all that death and horror has warped her into." The fairies around her shivered with their mistress, remembering the horrors they would see coming through the gate on Halloween night. If Jack was there, they all feared for him.

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfiction, posted on FF.Net as well as here. I welcome criticisms and comments that genuinely help me to improve. But I'd appreciate no flames please, they're not constructive to anyone improving their writing, let alone first time writers. Hallow is copywrited to me, but with expressed, written permission I will allow others to use her. I hope people will like this little fic, since I'm rather proud of it. Also, I don't have a Beta, so go easy on me.


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